Triangle
by ClarkieTheCutie
Summary: Ginny starts going out with Harry, Finally. But there's another person in the picture. Can Ginny have her cake and eat it too?
1. Shaping up

Ginny sat by the lake, under a tree. A small book sat in her lap. Her large brown eyes, framed by incredibly long lashes, held a child-like concentration on the pages. Her silky red hair was pulled into a tight braid. A few strands fell around her oval face, framing it. She wore a huge green sweater and too-small jeans. The jeans were obviously from last year and the sweater was almost certainly one of her brother's. It was Friday evening, which was why she wasn't wearing her uniform.

A burst of derisive laughter came from the other side of the lake, as a now soaked and spluttering Hufflepuff scrambled onto the banks of the lake.

The usual group of Slytherins, with their ring leader, Draco Malfoy, again collapsed in fits of malicious laughter as Crabbe threw the Hufflepuff back into the lake. Ginny looked up sharply from her book. Seeing what the Slytherins were doing her face became angry, eyes narrowing. She grabbed her book in one hand and stamped over to where the Hufflepuff was. She helped him up. "You leave him alone!" she shouted angrily at Malfoy. Although Crabbe had thrown the boy in, she knew Crabbe didn't do a thing other than eat without his lord and master's approval. While she screamed at the silver haired boy the Hufflepuff ran off up to the castle.

"Ah, If it isn't a Weasel." he said, folding his arms, not getting upset by Ginny's shouting.

Ginny took a deep breath, composing herself. "That's Miss Weasel to you, Malfoy." said Ginny, acting as though she wasn't circled by a ring a Slytherins, most of them twice her size.

Draco looked down at her, a nasty curl to his lips. "Still wearing hand-me-downs?" Crabbe and Goyle both smirked.

Ginny's confident face turned self conscious. Her green sweater, once the color of emeralds was now a sort of faded gray green and was so big it was falling off of one skinny shoulder. The pants, on the other hand, were far too tight. They clung to her slim hips like a second skin. "What, pray tell, do my clothes have to do with the fact that I saw Crabbe throwing a Hufflepuff first year into the lake?" snapped Ginny irritably. Her ears were a bit red, she hated having her clothes made fun of.

"Miss Weasel." Draco tutted to himself. " Merely an observation, one which almost everyone makes."

"True. You'd think the Slytherins, being so incredibly witty, would have come up with some new material by now."

"It still gets to you, after six years." the group closed in tighter, completely surrounding her, there was no way she get out of it.

"Yes, well, Malfoy, we can't all bounce back as amazingly well as you do." said Ginny, eye flashing. It was an obvious reference to his short, yet painful stint as a white, bouncing, ferret.

" Cutting." Draco raised an eyebrow. "But again, over used." he sighed, it was a painful memory, but a memory that he had become rather numb to.

"Just let me through. I have better things to do than trade insults with a pack of slimey gits." Draco suddenly moved quickly toward her, a blur of almost white, snatching the book cluched in Ginny's hand. "Give that back!" she said, not wanting him to read the title.

He was much taller than her. This made it easy to keep away from her reach. "Why, a mushy romance novel?"

"It's none of your business what it is. It's MINE!"

"I'm perfectly aware." said Draco, flicking open to where her bookmark was placed. Ginny stood in the center of the circle, breathing hard, face a horrible magenta that clashed with her hair in the most terrifying way.. Her arms were crossed under her breasts and her face had the look of a petulant five year old. But it was very hard to blame her. Draco just laughed, reading the top line of the page. " Oh dear, you actually enjoy this excuse for a novel?" he snapped the book shut, looking at the title.

"And the title?" He held the book for Goyle to see, who laughed a deep and hoarse laugh. "Snog and Snog again?" More laughs came from around the circle, Draco looking down at her, his icy eyes boaring mean little holes into her.

With an angry cry Ginny grabbed her book and pushed past two people and out of the circle, shaking. Being laughed at bothered her. It felt like people were always either ignoring her or laughing at her. Always.

Taking a deep breath, willing herself not to cry, she took off at a dead run for the Quidditch pitch. A final roar of Slytherin laughter chased her all the way to the pitch, before silence fell.

Later that night Ginny walked briskly down the halls. She had good reason to walk briskly. She was in the dungeons. 'Mione, who was head girl, was mad at her because she had found out that Ginny had copied some of Colin Creevey's Transfiguration homework. She had had permission from Colin but Hermione said, that, as a Prefect, Ginny should know better. Knowing how much Ginny hated patrolling the dungeons, and not wnating to take away precious house points, Hermione had assigned the poor Weasely to dungeons duty. For a week.

Ginny sighed angirly. "I can't believe this. I didn't have time to study for Transfiguration. I had to help Lavender with charms. But does she think that's a good excuse? That I was helping a fellow Gryffindor? No." continuing in this vein, Ginny kept muttering to herself as she patrolled the halls.

Draco, who was, in many's opinion, the head of Slytherin house, was also patrolling the dungeons, he almost allways did. As Crabbe put it, it was his territory. Blaise Zabini, who was Draco's only real friend, was, tonight, patrolling with him. The two boys were silently pacing, they had no idea they'd be joined by a Gryffindor tonight. Ginny rounded a corner and ran bang smack into Blaise. She fell over onto her bottom.

"Well, if it isn't the Weasel." Blaise said, looking at the red-head who had just landed on the floor.

"Can't you people come up with a better nickname then that?" snapped Ginny, getting up and brushing herself off. "And aren't you all the gentlemen? Everybody rushing to help up a lady."

Draco simply looked down at her, much as one would look down at a bug crawling acroos some dirt. Zabini brushed himself off where Ginny had bumped into him, a look of annoyance about his brow. Ginny looked back at Draco. Her look was much the same as his. However, she looked as though he was a bug she wanted to squash.

"What are you doing down here?" asked Draco coldly and with authority.

"I have dungeon patrol duty, Malfoy." said Ginny icily. Blaise was watching them with interest. He didn't have the cruelty of some of the other Slyterhins. He was no Santa Claus, but he was more just sarcastic then anything else.

"Oh you do, do you? That mudblood send you down here?"

"Don't. You. Dare. Call her that!" Ginny's face had gone from it's usual ivory to red. Yes, she was mad at Hermione, but they were friends. Nobody insulted her friends. Not without getting her hackles up, at any rate. "Don't you use that filthy word on her!"

"Mmm, I don't think, somehow, you're going to stop me." said Draco, dismissing Ginny's words.

"You are an arrogant, white haired bastard!" said Ginny, losing her temper and stamping her foot. Her face was no longer bright red and her red hair was billowing around her face in a way that was most becoming.

"Yes." said Draco. "But the white hair really isn't an insult, Weasel."

"Arrrrgh! Why does NOTHING upset you! You're like an ice block." shouted Ginny. Blaise smirked. Draco shrugged, folding his arms, face calm. His icy grey eyes really did reflect what Ginny had just said. Reaching up Ginny slapped him. Hard. So hard it left a red hand print. Blaise slapped his hand over his mouth in a failing effort not to burst out laughing.

Draco stood there, he hadn't flinched his, face hadn't changed, apart from the now red print embossed on his cheek. "That was for?" He asked, sounding slightly bored.

"Being you!" she said exasperatedly. She stomped off through the halls.

"She's madly in love with you, mate." said Blaise, chuckling.

Draco raised an eyebrow at him. "Weasel, in love with me? insanity." replied Draco.

"She's cute." said Blaise, shrugging. "And nobody expends that much energy on one person, mostly unprovoked, without a reason."

"Hmmm..." Draco replied. They soon both walked off, circling their usual route round the corridors and dungeons.

The next day was a Saturday. It was October, but still warm enough so that the mid-morning hours found Ginny sitting under her usual tree by the lake. She wasn't reading this time, but instead just staring out over the lake. "Gin!" someone called. Turning around, Ginny saw Harry, Hermione and Ron coming down the hill. She smiled at them. "Hey Ron, Harry. Hermione." her greeting to Hermione was far cooler.

"What you doing just sitting out here?" Ron asked.

"Exactly that. Sitting." said Ginny.

"Not the best way to spend a Saturday." Hermione said with her usual smile. "Haven't you got any homework to do?" she inquired.

"Because that's the best way to spend your Saturday." muttered Harry out of one corner of his mouth, grinning secretively at Ginny. Ginny grinned back at Harry. Obviously, she took too long, because Hermione cleared her throat authoratively. She wanted an answer, clearly.

"No. I finished it. After I helped Lavender with hers." said Ginny, barely hiding the exasperation in her voice.

" Ah, ok." smiled Hermione. "Good to hear you're keeping on top of things." Ron rolled his eyes.

"Leave the poor girl alone, 'Mione." said Harry, sending a sparkling smile at Ginny. He'd become a bit of a ladies man lately, having gotten taller and gained some confidence. Ginny went a little pink. Ron scowled at Harry, and jabbed him discreetly in the back.

"Ow. What, Ron?" said Harry.

"Nothing." said Ron through gritted teeth, knowing he shouldn't interfere with Ginny, but he was too protective of her, he couldn't help it.

Blaise was sitting next to Draco, not too far away from the four. "Potter is hitting on Weasely." he said lazily. "And Weasely Senior doesn't like it."

"Doesn't suprise me." Draco said, looking over. Harry had just pushed a peice of hair out of Ginny's pinkened face. Draco raised an eyebrow. "What does he want with a Weasel anyway?"

"Draco, she's cute, sweet to everyone but you, smart and her family loves him. Plus she's gullible as hell. She's the perfect target."

Draco thought to himself. "Potter's getting cocky."

"Nah. He's just actually growing balls, is all." replied Blaise, continuing to watch Harry flirt with Ginny while Ron grew redder and redder. Ron was steadily getting angrier, but wasn't interfering. He was mentally battling with himself to either punch Harry, or get up and leave them to it, and from the apperance of his fists, the punch was winning.

"What NEWT classes are you taking?" questioned Harry.

"Umm, charms, transfiguration, herbology, potions." said Ginny, stumbling over her words a bit.

"Cool." said Harry.

"I can't believe she's falling for his crap. He's not even that smooth." said Blaise disparagingly.

"She's always had a crush on him."

"Yeah, and he's ignored her for six years! She doesn't seem like that much of an idiot."

"But she is demonstrating it well."

"She's a girl." said Blaise, as though that explained everything. At the moment Hermione was dragging Ron away before he could smash Harry's skull in.

"Watch. The know it all is dragging away the gorilla and in a minute Potter's going to kiss the littlest weasel." said Blaise with certainty.

"I do believe you're right." He replied, as Potter leaned in and kissed a beetroot red Ginny. Ginny was slightly akwardly kissing Harry back.

Blaise stole a glance over at Draco. He had convinced himself that Draco liked Ginny and wanted to see if Draco was jealous.

Draco watched, looking slightly annoyed. " Her brother's going to kill him."

"I doubt you'll object. Weasely junior might though"

"More injured Potter is, the better."

"I figured as much." said Blaise. Draco glanced at the red head, Potter, and the small angry dot that was a raging Ron. Hermione, who had been dating Ron for a good year now, was holding him back. Harry was talking to Ron while Ginny shouted over him about how she could kiss anyone she damn well pleased, thank you very much!

Blaise chuckled. "She's feisty. I bet she's fun to get pissed off. Of course, you'd know all about that."

"I would." He said, now he reacted to that slap. Talk about a thick exterior. He placed his hand on his face, mentally feeling the sting now

"Draco, you have problems. You like the girl that is soon going to be Harry The-Boy-Who-Won't-Fucking-Die Potter's girlfriend." said Blaise solemnly.

" I know." replied Draco, his teeth gritted, not agressive, but annoyed at himself.

Blaise flung his hand across his mouth in mock shock. "You admit it! Sacre bleu!" he pretended to faint.

"Don't get used to it." said Draco, his eyes fixed to a blade of grass on the ground.

"Well, it's not like I didn't already know. Your eyes tend to be permanently glued on her." said Blaise sarcastically. "Not that I blame you. She's hot, in a deer-caught-in-the-headlights sort of a way."

Draco pulled his eyes up from the floor and to Blaise. A slight smile crept on his face. "You are too right sometimes."

Blaise smirked a took a bow. "Thank you, thank you!"

"Don't push it."

"Or what?" challenged Blaise

"I'm joking..."

"Duh." said Blaise witheringly. "I'm playing along, numbskull." Nobody at Hogwarts had a weirder relationship than Blaise and Draco.

"Ah." said Draco, feeling slightly embarrased, but hiding it. Blaise looked back across the lake to discover that Ginny and Harry were now making out and Ron and Hermione were no where to be seen.

"I think you should have made your move about two days ago, Drake, buddy old pal." said Blaise.

"Don't call me that." said Draco, dangerously.

"Calm down Draco, you're PMSing." said Blaise, snickering.

"Shut up." said Draco, snapping.

"Make me." said Blaise, grinning. Draco raised an eyebrow, not going to move. They did have the strangest friendship.

"Eh, you're just being a tough guy to distract yourself from the fact that Ginger over there is making out with Golden Boy." said Blaise, hitting the nail on the head. Draco stared blankly at him, Blaise knew that meant he was right.

At that moment Ginny was thinking that Harry was a very good kisser. Harry brought his hands up to the back of her head and pulled the hairband off the end of her braid, running his fingers through the silky mass of red, leaving it falling in waves around the back of her neck.

Draco forced himself to not look, "Blaise, tell me when it's over." He said, starting again at the floor.

"You're gonna be staring at the floor for awhile."

"Great." said Draco sarcastically, spreading a grin over his face.

Harry pulled out of the kiss. "Wait, I think it's over." said Blaise. Just as Draco looked up, Harry pushed his fingers into Ginny's hair. Gently he tilted her head to one side, steering her, and leaned down to kiss her neck. Ginny's eyes drifted closed, her face looking blissful. It was worse then a kiss, because they could see her face.

Draco got up quickly. "We're leaving."

"You go ahead. This is practically free porn." said Blaise gleefully.

"You sicken me." He replied, not meaning it an insult, more taking the mick. He straightened himself up, and went the long way round the lake. He kept glancing back to them. Like Blaise had said, it was basically free porn. The funny part was what they were doing really wasn't that heavy. But it felt private anyway.

Later that night Ginny was patrolling the dungeons again, as she was to every night that week. Draco, again was guarding his territory fiercely. Ginny rounded a corner and saw Draco. Blaise was lounging against a pillar. When he saw Ginny a slow, almost lecherous smirk crept over his face. Ginny shivered. Blaise was definitely sexy and his smirk could make almost anyone shiver.

Draco was as ashen faced, looked as cold and as haughty as ever.

"Well hello to you two to." said Ginny, collecting herself.

"Hello." said Blaise in a low voice that felt like she should have been able to pet it. Blaise was deliberately trying to piss Draco off by flirting with the tiny Gryffindor. Draco nodded at her. His sharp little eyes sliced to Blaise as he spoke. Blaise smirked at Draco and turned his smouldering gaze back to Ginny. Ginny looked at the ground, scuffing a foot. It was all very cute, but as it was in response to Blaise, it was doubtful that Draco was appreciating the veiw. That, and he didn't appreciate sweet all that much anyway.

Without warning, he pushed off violently from the wall he was leaning against, and walked off at a pace down the corridor, to do a quick rounds. His black robes, billowing almost annoyedly out behind him. She glared after Draco. Draco was talking to himself loudly, knowing Blaise was trying to piss him off, and knowing he was succeeding.

"Fuck you Blaise, you're doing it to wind me up, you and fucking Potter!" yelled Draco, kicking a nearby suit of armour.

"Pardon me." Blaise murmured to Ginny in that same voice and then went down the hall to Draco. Ginny watched them from where she stood, leaning against a pillar.

"Why shouldn't I flirt with her? I know you're never going to make a move." said Blaise in a low voice to Draco, so that Ginny couldn't hear.

"Oh, I'm not?" whispered Draco back, looking severly at him.

"No. You're too busy being pissed at yourself. That, and you don't know how to be a Slytherin and like a Gryffindor at the same time, and it scares you." no one else could be this honest to Draco and get away without a broken nose. Actually, Blaise wasn't too sure he wouldn't have one in a few moments.

Draco flexed his fingers, his eyes narrowed. "Stop being right."

"It's my job, Draco. You live in denial. It's my job to deny you denial, so to speak." while they were talking Ginny had fled. Blaise looked over his shoulder. "She'd be more fun if she were always firey." he said. Draco growled slightly, relaxing his fists, and pushing the hair from his face that had fallen into his eyes.

"You're not going to go find her, are you? Because that's what I'd do. I'd find her, push her up against a wall and snog her silly." said Blaise, smirking.

" She'd kill me, but it's worth a try." Draco forced.

"Can I watch?" asked Blaise cheekily. "I'd love to see that short little twig of a thing kick your white haired pureblooded arse."

"In that case, no." Draco began quickly following after her.

She was walking down a hall and heard his footsteps behind her. "Zabini, would you please leave me al-" she started to turn around and realized it wasn't Blaise. Draco, not knowing whether this was a good idea or not, did exactly as Blaise had said. She stiffened against him, hands clenched into fists at her sides, he'd been sure to pin her arms. He pushed her back against the wall, and kissed her, just like that. He was now waiting for pain of some description.

Ginny's brain was screaming at her to knee the blonde boy who was attached to her at the mouth. She was a weasely. Weaselys did not kiss Malfoys. But he was a really good kisser. Before she knew what she was doing she had melted into the kiss. Her fists had unclenched and her body had relaxed into his. She wasn't kissing him back, but she wasn't smacking him either. Draco soon pulled back from the kiss, needing air desperately. He was alittlew suprised he wasnt bleeding somewhere.

"You... what. I have a boyfriend!" exclaimed Ginny.

"Potter?" He said, not drawing back from her, but wanting to kiss her again.

"No, the other boy I was making out with at the lake!" snapped Ginny, voice dripping with sarcasam, sounding very like him, or Blaise. Draco began to draw back, beginning to panic.

"What the hell was that for, anyway, Malfoy?" asked Ginny, putting her hands on her hips, looking remarkably like a skinnier, slightly taller version of her mother.

"Have a guess." said Draco, pulling his robes around him slightly.

"You git."

"And." He replied coldly.

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't mean anything, and you kissed me."

"Your point?"

"I was talking to myself." snapped Ginny. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"What, exactly, gives you the right to walk up to me, spin me around, push me up agaisnt a wall and snog me like the apocalyspe is coming and you know you're not going to survive?" asked Ginny, neatly changing the subject.

"It was getting to me, so I thought I'd do something about it." replied Draco sharply. One would swear he was professor Snape.

"Humiliating me wasn't enough, you had to try and get me to cheat on the boy I've finally gotten a hold of, the one I've liked since I was ten!"

"Yes, why not." replied Draco, a sting in his voice

"You are a cold, heartless bastard!" screamed Ginny, flying at him, her hands curved like claws. Draco simply watched her, not putting his hands up in defense, not anything. She slapped him, far harder than she had the night before. He had to grit his teeth, there was no way he was going to take that straight, and not flinch.

"Fuck patrol duty." hissed Ginny, spinning around, robes billowing behind her, she stormed off. Draco watched her storm off, and went to find Blaise, his face raw form the slap. He didn't have to.

Blaise stepped out from behind a pillar. "She looks like a cat when she's angry." commented Blaise lazily. Draco shook his head, his teeth clenched, spasms of pain running across his face.

"You're an idiot, mate. You don't agree with a girl when she makes an accusation like that! Charm 101. Rule number one: Be charming! Git. I've seen you flirt Draco. You weren't flirting. Hell, you weren't even trying."

"Shut up." said Draco, begining to walk moodily back towards where they had been.

"No." said Blaise, following him. "What's your problem Draco? I'm not even saying you have to be nice to her. There's a difference between nice and charming. But hell, Drake, do you want her or not because that's not the way into her pants or her heart."

"Don't call me that!" replied Draco, a temper building up. "Yes I want her, But I have no idea how! You've told me that I'm scared!"

"Don't give me that bullshit. You're the fucking Slytherin Prince. How do you get any girl? Besides, what better way to get at Potter then to steal his girlfriend? You can kill two birds with one stone."

"Stop being god-damned right!" said Draco in annoyance. "I need a way to get her to like me! But after tonight, I'm back about 10 steps, so..." his mind had begun to scheme.


	2. Broken

The weeks blurred together until Halloween. Ginny and Harry were still together. Ginny had avoided Draco at all costs, and had managed quite neatly. There was to be a Halloween ball and Ginny, was, of course, going with Harry. She had never told him about her late night kiss with Draco in the dungeons.

"Gin-gin, aren't you ready yet!?!" Harry called up the stairs to his girlfriend.

"Almost." she called back. Although she'd never told him, the nickname Gin-gin bothered her. It made her feel about five, and she got enough of that from her brothers and parents! Ron still wasn't overly happy with Ginny and Harry, Hermione was giving him another talking to.

A moment later Ginny descended the girl's staircase. She looked lovely. Her hair was piled into a knot of curls at the back of her head. The dress was strapless and made of gold satin. She looked like she was floating right above the floor. Golden brown shadow was swept across her eyelids. The color made her eyes look even bigger and showed gold facets in them. Her cupid's bow mouth was painted a dark red. Smiling, she looked down at Harry. They were having a moment, but Ron managed to ruin it.

"Ginny, go put on the rest of your dress!"

Hermione hit him over the head fondly. "Leave them be." she said, exasperatedly. Ron grumbled under his breath, straightening his green dress robes.

Ginny rolled her eyes and came the rest of the way down the stairs. She stopped next to Harry, resting her hand on his arm. "Shall we?"

"We shall." Harry grinned, taking her arm, and leading her from the common room.

Awhile later Ginny stood in a corner. Harry had, for the moment, abandoned her to go and talk to a few friends of his. Ginny wouldn't have minded except that the moment seemed to be stretching on and on. He had only danced with her once before disappearing. Draco was slinking around, and had made sure Potter was detained for as long as possible.

Ginny shifted. Everyone was enjoying the dance. And yet here she was, all dressed up, actually wearing make-up and she had no one to dance with or even talk to.

"You look stunning, Weasel, I must say." Draco said, silkily from behind her.

"That's not my name." said Ginny, turning around and frowning prettily at him. "And leave me alone." but that last was almost more of an after thought.

"Rather I called you Ginny?" asked Draco, he was swathed in fine black dress robes.

"I'd rather you left me alone, Malfoy."

"Oh, you would?" asked Draco sarcastically, implying him moving wasn't going to happen very quickly.

"I'd rather you called me Weasely, Malfoy. Not Weasel and certainly not Ginny." truth to tell, she often wished people would call her Ginevra. Not her brothers, but Harry, at least. Him calling her Ginny made her feel young. Not as young as the nickname Gin-gin though. She couldn't imagine Malfoy calling anyone Gin-gin. For a minute she contemplated having Draco's fine, cultivated voice call her Ginevra. Not liking how much she liked that thought, she mentally shook herself. "Anyway, what, exactly, do you want, Malfoy?"questioned Ginny. She pursed her perfectly painted red lips, putting one hand on a hip. Her posture plainly stated 'I have better things to do'. However, her lack of other company belied that statement.

"Potter left you, to go talk to his friends, leaving you here alone, I thought I'd come keep you company, Ginevra." He replied his voice smooth and deep. Seeing as she didn't want to be called anything else, he thought he'd try that.

"How did you know that's my name? Everybody assumes it's Virginia."

"I know they do, I heard your Mother calling you it on the Platform once, and during the sorting 6 years ago." Draco replied, a slight smile on his face, putting the charm on thickly.

Now, Ginny wasn't the most sensible of girls, she tended to quite often have her head in the clouds. She was a dreamer and charm could make her blush and stutter like nothing else could. "Oh." she said, not knowing what else to say. Draco had paid attention while she was being sorted. That was... Weird.

"And Ginevra is a beautiful name." continued Draco, pushing his almost white hair back from his face.

"Thank you." having a civilized conversation with Draco Malfoy was not normal and it was rather flustering her. Her fingers had grabbed a hold of a fold of her dress and were worrying it, back and forth. She was also biting her lower lip.

"Why are you so nervous?" asked Draco, edging slightly closer to her, his voice a low, almost seductive whisper.

"I'm not nervous." said Ginny defensively, taking a step back. They were over in a half hidden, darkened corner, which was good for Draco. If Ron or Harry, or hell, even Hermione, had seen him cornering her, he would have been in trouble.

Draco raised an eyebrow at her, his arms crossed, the great black flowing robes hanging from him, making him almost shapeless. "Either that or you're worrying." He said, his eyes flicking to her bottom lip, that was held between her teeth.

Ginny (or should it be Ginevra now?) let go of her dress and stopped biting her lip. "I'm neither." said the redhead more than a bit defiantly.

"If you say so, Ginevra." said Draco, her name rolling from his toungue so well.

"I do say so, Malfoy." Draco just looked at her, a slight smile on his face, defying her defiance of him almost.

"You are infinitely infuriating." said Ginny. She wanted to sound dignified but she only sounded rebellious.

"Thank you." replied Draco silkily.

Blaise, who was hanging about in a nearby corner, snorted. "Who says things like infinitely infuriating?" he muttered, coming up to Draco and Ginny.

"Me." said the girl. "And you're welcome." she informed Draco. Ginny shot a look at Blaise. He was very, very attractive and she was feeling neglected by Harry. And he wasn't as big of an ass as Draco. So why was it that she felt she'd rather dance with Draco then Blaise. Eek! No way had just thought any of that. Ginny Weasley didn't dance with Slytherins!

Draco looked down at her, a laugh was mustered in his throat. "Ginevra." he said. "Dance?!

"I can't. I'm waiting for Harry." said Ginny. Blaise rolled his green eyes expressively.

Draco looked around, over the top of everyone. "He's not in here." Draco said. Raising an eyebrow at Blaise.

"He said he'd be right back." her voice sounded annoyed, but it didn't seem directed at either of the Slytherins.

"Hmm..." Draco thought. He needed a way to win Ginny over, and quickly.

"I can't believe he'd say he was just going to talk to friends for a minute and then leave completely. That's not like him." said Ginny. She seemed to be talking more to herself then to the other two. Draco looked down at her. He had, had Harry detained, but where he was now, he didn't know.

"Don't do that." said Ginny.

"Do what?" asked Draco.

"Look down your nose at me like that." she replied. Blaise began to snicker. Draco did rather have a tendancy to look at people that way.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "I didn't."

"Oh whatever you say Your Highness." said Ginny snappishly. He shook his head slightly, glancing over to Blaise. Blaise gave the other boy a wide-eyed, innocent stare.

Draco clenched his teeth tightly. "I wonder where your precious Potter is."

"Here he comes, actually. Speak of the devil." said Blaise, face dead-pan. His eyes were twinkling however. He liked nothing more then a little mischeif and Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy liking the same girl wasn't just mischeif, it was melodrama! Draco looked up, his steely eyes focused quickly on the messy haired boy.

Ginny plastered a smile onto her well-made-up face, but it looked a bit forced. "Harry, where've you been?" said Ginny.

Harry grimaced, and went straight for Draco. "What did you do that for?" He said, hands pinning Draco's robes to the wall.

Ginny looked between Draco, harry, and Blaise. She got the feeling, somehow, that she was the only one who had no idea, absolutely no idea, what the hell was going on. "Would someone mind clueing me in?" asked Ginny petulantly.

"Do what?" Draco asked, his voice frustratiungly calm. Ginny made a face. She did not like being out of the loop.

"Have your cronies drop me into the lake!" said Harry angrily.

"I did nothing of the sort." said Draco, cooly.

"Somebody dropped you in the lake?" asked Ginny of Harry, blinking. BLaise had his face carefully blank. it was the only way he could stop from bursting out laughing.

Harry nodded, it was obvious he had been dropped into water, he had left an long trail of water as he walked.

Draco looked at Harry dead in the eye. "Get off me, now." he said, his voice dripping with malice.

"Come on, Harry, you can do a drying charm, you can't get into a fight here, there are teachers all over." stated Ginny reasonably.

"Yes Potter, teachers all over." said Draco, trying to push Harry into doing it, with the smirk on his face.

"Oh, shut it, you." snapped Ginny at Draco, putting a hand on Harry's elbow. She had six brotehrs, she knew how to talk down angry males. Although with her brothers there was usually much more smacking (the only ones she couldn't beat up were Charlie and Bill) and much less talking.

"No." replied Draco, his mean eyes directing themselves at Ginny.

"Harry, let's go." said Ginny urgently, ignoring Draco, though her little hands were itching to smack him.

Harry reluctantly let go of Draco. He wanted to hit that ferret's face so hard, he wouldn't have been recognizable. Draco began brushing himself off as Harry released him.

Ginny performed a quick, thorough drying charm on Harry and then grabbed his hand. "Let's go dance." she stood up on tiptoe so she could whisper in harry's ear. "You're worth ten of him, don't let him get to you."

Harry turned around, his back to Draco. "Mmm." he replied, and took Ginny onto the dancefloor.

Draco watched, feeling violated by Potter having touched him. "Next time you're trying to charm somebody, make sure their boyfriend is locked in a closet soemwhere for a good tweleve hours." advised Blaise confidingly to Draco, patting his arm. "Speaking of that, I believe Terry is off somewhere.. I wodner what Daphne is doing..."

Draco folded his arms, looking annoyed. "Go find her." he said bluntly, leaning back against the wall.

"Why Draco, one would think you are trying to get rid of me!"

"Shut up." replied Draco, looking at Blaise.

"You need to stop screwing up and get that damned Weasley to like you. You need to get laid. Desperately." with that, Blaise disappeared into the crowd.

"Don't I know it." muttered Draco to himself, watching Ginny. Harry was spinning her around. He was a horrible dancer, although he didn't step on her toes. But when she had teased him he'd picked her up and whirled her around. Her head was thrown back and she was laughing. Draco watched looking bitter and annoyed with himself, and what he was watching.

Late that night, well after two, Ginny Weasley sat up in bed. What a dream. Taking a shaky breath, she reassured herself that it was just a dream. it didn't mean anything. She laid back down, closed her eyes, but she couldn't sleep. Finally giving up she slid out of bed and pulled a once-white robe over her green flannel PJs. Quietly, she slipped out of the sixth year girl's dorm and down the steps. She went to the portrait hole and, opening it, stepped out. Ginevra Weasley started down the halls, not sure where she was going, just going.

Draco was sitting up in his common room, not having been able to sleep at all. Draco got up, feeling like he needed some fresh air, the stuffy common room dungeoun was getting to him.

Ginny headed towards the kitchens with a vague idea of getting a cup of hot chocolate. He dragged his feet, needing to head past the kitchens to get to the entrance and out to the grounds. Ginny rounded a corner into the corridor Draco was coming up. Her head was down, her hair pulled back in its usual braid. She had let her robe hang open so that her faded green flannels showed. Draco wasn't paying a lot of attention to where he was walking, his eyes wandering aimlessly. Ginny started humming softly, low in her throat. Draco looked up, his usual flawless glow had escaped him, he looked almost normal. The redhead still hadn't noticed him. She couldn't stop thinking about her dream.

"Ginevra." Draco said, sounding more than tired.

Her head snapped up so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. "Malfoy." she replied politely.

"You're up late." said Draco, pulling his cloak around him.

"So're you." said Ginny, almost conversationally. They were both prefects but it was obvious neither one was patrolling. Seeing draco this late Ginny found herself wondering what he wore to bed.. Argh. No. Wonder about what HARRY wears to bed! she shouted at herself, mentally.

"Mmm." said Draco, pushing his hair from his face. He glanced to the painting on the wall, who were meant to be asleep, but were secretly listening in.

"And with that positively crushing comment, Draco Malfoy causes everyone to cry. Where're the insults, Malfoy?" taunted Ginny. "Having a bad night?"

Malfoy wasn't going to rise to it. "It's too late, or early, I should say."

"Ah, so if everyone walked around chatting at two in the morning, you'd be civil, is that it?"

"Probably not." he replied.

Ginny yawned. "Well, scintillating as you are Malfoy, I'll be moving on now." she said. "Your social skills positively overwhelm me, I just can't take it." smiling charmingly, she started towards the kitchens again. Just the fact that he hadn't made a single comment about her threadbare robe or faded PJs was making her nervous.

He let her past, simply saying "Night!"

"Oh, and the next time you throw my boyfriend in the lake, I'll feed you to the giant squid." she informed him, before disappearing around a corner.

"Wasn't my idea." said Draco.

Ginny popped her head back around the corner. "Oh really?"

"Really." said Draco, cooly. She backtracked, coming back to standing next to him. She tucked her hands inside her robe, settling them onto her hips. Looking up into his face she fixed him with the patented Weasley woman stare. It was like having an x-ray aimed at you. He stared right back.

"You're like ice, seriously."

"I've had practice!"

"You're cuter when you're not all stony." said Ginny. She hadn't meant to say that. She slapped a hand over her mouth. He raised an eyebrow. "I take it back." squeaked the short redhead, blushing five shades of red. He smiled slightly. "It's not funny!" said Ginny.

"Oh no? You're crimson."

"How is that funny?"

"You admitted I was cute."

"No, I said you were cuter when you weren't stony. That could still mean you're as ugly as a troll." said Ginny defensively.

"But I know I'm not." replied Draco. Ginny shrugged. She was still bright red. He still had that slight smile on his face. She couldn't help but think how much more handsome he was when he smiled. Not smirked, but _smiled_.

While she was thinking this, she yawned, a huge, face splitting yawn. She didn't normally stay up this late. Her braid really could no longer be called a braid, because a good half of it and fallen out and was framing her slim, pointed face. Actually, her face shape wasn't that different from Draco's. She was pale, pale ivory and her huge brown eyes almost seemed to big for her small face. Her lips were full and pouty. It was amazing how she had gone from being a made up, gorgeous debutante not five hours ago to the pale, skinny little baby doll she was now. "All this and modest too." she finally said, letting the words drop, dripping with sarcasam, from her lips.

"Aren't I just." he replied, folding his black swathed arms against his chest. The corridor was dark, Draco's face was eerily illuminated by a few torches placed along the walls. He looked almost preternatural. She continued studying him, in perhaps a less detached manner then she should have. He watched her, his proud Slytherin head held high, almost white hair falling slightly infron of his eyes. Their steely grey stare was fixed, unmovedly on Ginny.

"Where were you heading when we bumped into each other?" asked Ginny, on impulse.

"Out into the grounds." replied Draco. "The common room was making me feel ill." his voice was slightly less hard than usual, but still had a frost edge to it.

"I'm going to the kitchens."

Draco nodded slightly. "I suppose I could do with a drink." Without another word Ginny headed off towards the kitchens. Draco doubled back on himself, following her.

Inside the kitchens house elves rushed around like crazy, cleaning and preparing things. Ginny asked for a cup of hot chocolate and, when it was brought to her, liberally squirted with whipped cream, she sat down at a small table, wrapping her hands around it and enjoying the warmth. The house elves cowered slightly at Draco, they had heard stories of his family, from none other than the house elf, Dobby. He by the was was currently off cleaning the castle. They bought him a huge mug of coffee, and he almost draped himself over a chair, mug in hand.

"It's disgusting that you're twice as graceful as most of the female half of Gryffindor." said Ginny, almost conversationally.

Draco sipped the coffee. "It's understandable." he replied, his voice once again smooth.

"Oh is it?" he nodded.

"How is that?"

"Looking at Gryffindor, I'd say I have at least twice the grace of all of your house."

"You ass. I'm not that clumsy!"

"I've never seen anything than to suggest you more graceful than me, Ginevra."

"I didn't know you'd paid that much attention to me at all, Malfoy."

"One would be surprised."

"Oh would one?" questioned Ginny, raising an eyebrow.

"Seeing, as you have had no idea, I would say so." said Draco, his long fingers wrapped around the warming mug.

"I didn't know there was anything worth observing." replied Ginny.

"Well there is." said Draco, glancing over at her. Ginny looked down at her cocoa. She took a sip, getting whipped cream on her upper lip. She absently licked it off. He watched, slightly mesmerised by her at times. She took another sip, not noticing that he was staring. He pulled his eyes away from her, forcing himself to look down at the coffee that was left in the bottom half of his cup.

"So, you couldn't sleep?" said Ginny, needing to break the silence.

"No, not at all." replied Draco, his voice slightly echoed in his mug he took it to his lip. "You?"

"Had a dream that woke me, couldn't sleep again." siad Ginny shortly.

"Oh?" asked Draco, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh." said Ginny matter of factly. She took another big gulp of hot choclate.

"Hmm." said Draco, another awkward slience coming between them. Ginny didn't know what to talk about. What does a dirt poor youngest child talk about to a trillion-galleonaire only child?

Draco glanced up at Ginny, supping at his coffee. "Slytherin vs. Gryffindor Quidditch match coming up, no?" he asked, unsure whether she was playing or not.

"Yeah. I'm playing chaser this year."

"Haven't you played allmost every position at one point?"

"I was seeker for a bit in fourth year, beater last year, which I stunk at, and this year I'm chaser. So yeah. Every position but keeper."

"Which your brother, has the pleasure of being." Ginny nodded assent. Draco set the now empty mug on the table the chairs were seated round. As soon as he had let go of it, a House elf came and snatched it up quickly.

Ginny set down her own, now empty, mug. "Thank you." Ginny said as a house elf nipped off with it. Draco placed a hand on his head momentarily, a head ache suddenly throbbing in his temples.

"What is it?" said Ginny.

"Headache." said Draco, looking up at her, his vision blurring slightly. Ginny didn't think. She just did what she often did for her father when he came home with a headache. Getting up and standing behind his chair she rubbed his shoulders gently but firmly. Ron would've had a heartattack. Draco let go of his head, letting Ginny massage his shoulder. They were phenominally tense. She worked on the knots in them gently.

Draco gritted his teeth. "That's painful." he said, his words slightly forced, as she applied more pressure.

Ginny let out a squeak and jumped like she'd put her hand on a hot stove. "Sorry." she said a strained sounding voice.

Draco reached up to his shoulder, and touched her hand gently. "Don't worry, I'm tense." he replied, quietly. Ginny didn't pull away from him, but her hand was as stiff as his shoulders. He pulled it away slowly, before pushing his hair from his face. A minute later Ginny took a deep breath and kept massaging his shoulders. She wasn't sure why, but she did. Draco melted slightly into her touch, she was so good at that. After a bit, Ginny pulled back. She kept telling herself that this was compeltely innocent. A girl could give a friend a backrub. But since when was she friends with Draco Malfoy?

Draco shifted his shoulders slightly, getting used to the looseness. "Thank you." he said, sighing with relief.

"You're welcome." said Ginny softly. "I should go. Filch'll catch us and it's already after three o'clock." she added quickly.

"Argus? Hmm, Suppose your right." he got up, a good 6ft in height, maybe even a bit taller than that. That amde him at least a foot taller than her.

"Yeah. Night." said Ginny. She jsut had a suddenurge to RUN AWAAAAAYYYY!

"Night." replied Draco, turning, his black cloak billowing out behind him, as he made his way towards the door. He had a lot to tell Blaise. Ginny nipped past him and got out just before him, disappearing seemingly instantly down the corridor, white robe streaming behind her. He watched, before turning, and walking casually back to the common room.

Blaise was waiting. "What happened. Woke up, saw you weren't there. You could've woken me up, I always go on your sleep walking expeditions." Blaise looked vaguely hurt.

"I never went up to bed." said Draco cooly, going and sitting in the arm chair closest the green burning fire.

"Well what happened." said Blaise. "And don't say nothing, you're looking smug, something happened."

"Ran into Ginevra." said Draco, a slight smile had appeared on his face.

"And? Details, man, details!"

"Talked, went into the kitchens, sat and drank. I got a headache, and she decided to give me a backrub." said Draco, the smile widening mischeiviously.

"A backrub is giving you that face!? Jesus.... get a _LIFE_! That's a **SEX** face!"

"Fuck you." said Draco simply. His face fell completely, into annoyance.

"Sorry mate. Didn't mean to ruin your mood. But lighten up. I was kidding. With an ice queen like Weasel, that's like going from kissing on the cheek to fucking in a day."

"She was acting slightly strangly aswell." said Draco, not finding the joke very funny.

"Funny how?" said Blaise, actually listening for once.

"Dunno, seemed slightly off, not her usual self." said Draco "Plus she willingly touched me." he added as an afterthought

"That is weird. What girl willingly touches you?" ribbed Blaise. Draco shot him an annoyed glance.

"Blaaaaiiiiseeee!" came a voice from the girl's dorms.

"Duty calls." said Blaise with a rougish grin, getting up. "Night." he said to Draco, and then disappeared.

"Night." replied Draco.

It was soon time for the Gryffindor/Slytherin quidditch match. Harry, who had gotten his broom and flying rights back, was, this year, qidditch captain.

He was still playing seeker and was very pumped for the match. In fact Ginny was quite, quite sick of being lectured into the ground about tactics. She was a good seeker, she knew what she was doing, and yet Harry seemed to spend far more time lecturing her then he did Colin and Dennis Creevey, who, though good, were brand new to the game.

Draco was too seeker, and also the capitan of the Slytherin team. They prepared to go onto the pitch, Draco talking at them with authroity. "Don't forget our plays! Keep in the formations!" all had brooms in hand and were focused on beating Gryffindor, above all else.

Ginny was more then ready to get out onto the pitch, away from Harry. When they finally got out onto the pitch Ginny waited while Harry and draco shook hands. It was, however, more like they were trying to _BREAK_ each other's hands. Draco glanced to Ginny, then back to Harry as they shook hands. The look in his eyes was trying to taunt Harry into doing something he may regret. Ginny didn't notice. She was done watching the testosterone dispaly between the boys and had begun studying the sky.

"Alright alright. Enough hand shaking." Madame Hooch finally broke in. Draco and Harry walked away from eachother quickly, both looking like they had wanted to hit the other.

Hooch released the balls and then blew her whistle. Everyone kicked off from the ground.

Ginny took off like a shot, just a scarlet blur. She grabbed the quaffle and tossed it to Jackie Hariss, a girl in her year. Draco and Harry both soared upwards looking for the snitch. Jackie threw the quaffle and scored. A huge cheer went up from the Gryffindor stands. Jackie tossed the quaffle to Seamus, the only male chaser. He tossed it at the goal but it was blocked by the Slytherin keeper. A cheer went up from the Slytherin stands. The Slytherin beaters had been zooming around, mostly in possion of the bludgers, some of the chasers getting close to being knocked off their brooms.

Ginny dived for the quaffle but was intercepted by a Slytherin chaser. The Slytherin grabbed it and headed up the pitch, towards the Gryffindor goal posts. Ginny made a determined face and sped after the other chaser. She stole the quaffle and tossed it to Jackie, who made another score. Roars came up again from the Gryffindor stand. Draco was still scanning the floor, and Harry was circling above him.

Ginny could hear, somewhere in the back of her mind, the voice of the commentator, but she wasn't listeing, she was watching the quaffle. Waiting. When Seamus tossed it to her, she was ready. She streaked down the pitch towards the Slytherin goal posts. Then suddenly, out of no where, the Slytherin beaters, who were Crabbe and Goyle, this year, hit both the bludgers straight at her face, at the same time. She managed to duck, the air from the missile-like bludgers ruffling her hair in passing. With a shaky breath, she continued down the pitch. That had been close.

Draco had dived, and pulled up very close from the ground as the beaters had gone for Ginny, Harry had followed stupidly, and had just missed the ground. Ginny threw the shot, but her hands were shaky from the clsoe call and she dropped it, cursing under her breath.

Harry barked something resembling, 'why'd you drop it?!' at her. Draco had disappeared to the ground, scanning. Ginny ignored him, he was just going to make her more nervous. Unfortunately a Slytherin chaser, Pansy parkinson herself, caught it and scored on Gryffindor. Twice.

"Gryffindor twenty, Slytherin twenty!" roared Luna Lovegood, who had taken over from lee Jordan as commentator. Draco began speeding towards a glint of gold that he had spied, over by the Slytherin goal posts. Ginny saw him going. She spared a quick second to think whether she should intercept him and risk a foul or wait. Harry was so busy lecturing her, he'd forgotten the snitch, something he never did. Clenching her jaw, Ginny sped after Malfoy, plastering her body to the broom, shooting after him like a bullet on her Nimbus 2000, which she had earned over the summer working at Charlie's dragon camp in Romania. Draco's broom was much faster, he was flat against his broom, moving as fast as he could towards the snitch which he could now clearly see flittering merrily around in a confused circle.

Ginny was cursing Harry inside her head. Yeah, he was captain, but he was also seeker! She was never going to make it in time to dodge infront of Malfoy! The crowd seemed confused. it should have been Harry diving after Malfoy, not Ginny! Draco swung round the post, catching the snitch in a green blur, and pulling upwards quickly.

Ginny touched down on the ground as Draco pulled upwards. The Slytherins rushed onto the feild, lifting Draco onto their shoulders, marching him around the pitch, cheering noisily. Blaise grinned and patted Draco on the back. Draco was simply smirking, expecting nothing less from his house.

Harry touched down and him and Ginny could soon be seen shouting at each other by the goalposts. "What did you do that for?!" he said, enraged "You were supposed to be on the quaffle! Not going after Malfoy!!"

"Are you flipping kidding me Harry! I dropped the quaffle, once, and you spent the last two mintues of the game screaming at me! I was trying to intercept Malfoy so the game could continue! Me getting another goal was not going to save the fucking game!!" shaking, Ginny tired taking a deep breath. "If you'd been watching the snitch instead of shouting at me, maybe we wouldn't've lost!!!" she hissed, trying not to scream, not wanting to draw attention, although it was too late for discretion.

Harry's eyes widened. "You're blaming me?!" he almost roared. "I was too busy trying to correct the team's mistakes! AND YOU'RE BLAMING ME?!"

"YOU HAVE MORE THEN ONE JOB HARRY! IF YOU COULDN'T HANDLE THAT, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BECOME CAPTAIN!" It was lucky for them the teachers had already headed inside.

"WHO ELSE COULD DO IT?" he said angrily, throwing his broom to the ground in rage.

Blaise poked Draco in the back. "Potty and the little Weasel are fighting. and I mean really fighting."

Draco, who had by now been put down, looked over. " Good." He said, icily.

"Well I don't know Harry. Malfoy manages pretty well though, doesn't he?" hissed Ginny in a low, vindictive voice. Harry was truly pissing her off.

"Don't bring that fucking ferret into this!" said Harry, being compared to Draco, wasn't his idea of a good time.

"Draco seriously, lsiten to this. She just compared you two!" said Blaise. By now there was a group of people watching Hogwarts Golden Couple with abted breath.

"I CAN DO WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT HARRY!" said Ginny, leaning forward. By now she was so mad that her face wasn't red it was as white as Draco's. Only the tips of her ears were pink.

"YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HATE THAT BASTARD!"

"When the hell did this fight become about Malfoy!?! This has NOTHING TO DO WITH MALFOY! OTHER THEN THAT YOU LET HIM WIN AND ARE TRYING TO PIN IT ON ME JUST BECAUSE YOU HATE TO LOSE TO SOMEONE YOU HATE! Big Harry Potter NEVER LOSES! Not to You-know-who and CERTAINLY not to a skinny white haired ferret!" said Ginny, voice twisted and mean. Him trying to blame her for this was the last straw in her eyes.

Harry was going redder and redder. "THIS WAS **NOT** MY FAULT! IF YOU LOT WOULD STOP MAKING MISTAKES, I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO TAKE MY ATTENTION FROM THE SNITCH!"

"I do not make that many mistakes. We're a good team." said Ginny. "Some things you have to let _slide_." she was trying to calm down.

"We lost to _Slytherin_! We lost to that **_arse_** Draco Malfoy!"

"Yeah. Because you couldn't let one mistake-and you _know_ I don't make many quidditch mistakes, Harry, slide and pay attention to the damn snitch!"

" I was!" He protested

"Well you didn't go for it. Hell, you didn't even realize the fucking game was over till Slytherin started cheering!"

"Hang on, were you _protecting_ MALFOY?!" He asked, it clicking in his head.

"WHAT!!!!!!" exploded Ginny.

"YOU WERE PROTECTING HIM!"

"I WAS NOT! Protecting him?! How in the hell was that protecting him Harry!?! I WENT AFTER HIM TO STOP HIM!!!!!" Draco was watching, a smile across his face, until he heard 'PROTECT MALFOY'. At which point, his smile widened.

"I give them two minutes." He said slickly.

"Three." said Blaise.

"Harry, I can't FUCKING believe you! Why in the HELL would _I_ protect **_MALFOY_** of all people?" it was the wrong question to ask.

"Two and a half." Draco added.

"I don't know, perhaps, you like him!"

Ginny opened her mouth to say 'FUCK no!' but she discovered she was turning all kinds of shades of pink. "Do you want to end this?" she said in a low voice.

"It looks like we're going to have to, isn't it." Harry said, through gritted teeth.

"Fine. We're over, Harry Potter." said Ginny. And that was how Ginevra Molly Weasley broke up with harry James Potter, in front of the entire student body of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	3. Big boots and big gloves

It was around midnight that day, Draco and Blaise were making their way towards the kitchen, the two black figures walking side by side. They stepped into the kitchens. Blaise got them a bottle of wine and sat down. Draco, who was looking pleased with himself, uncorked the bottle, and took the first swig.

"Share. You're already getting one of the best looking girls here, you don't get all the wine too!" said Blaise. Draco raised his eyebrow, passing the bottle over. Blaise did not, of course, mention that he was sleeping with Daphne Greengrass, a girl who was more classically beautiful than ten Ginnys. Draco put his feet up, relaxing back into the chair.

"So. What's the battle plan." said Blaise. "I am, of course, involved?"

"Haven't decided yet." said Draco, letting his head fall back.

"Because disorganization when hunting women works so well." said Blaise in a voice dripping with sarcasam. "Think, man, think!"

" I was going to ask you for ideas." replied Draco, in a matter of fact kind of way.

Just then the object of their conversation stumbled through the portrait hole. Said object looked horrible. Her hair was messy, hanging in her face. Her eyes, if you managed to get a glimpse of them through her hair, were puffy and red. She was still wearing her quidditch robes and the hem was muddy. Obviously, she wasn't taking this that well.

Draco looked over at her. "Ginevra." Draco said, a slightly welcoming, yet harsh tone filling his voice. She sniffled in reply. Draco sat up, almost perfect posture, freeing up the seat for her to sit on. She shuffled over and sat down, putting her arms on the table and her head on her arms.

Draco took the bottle from Blaise and placed the bottle infront of her."Want some?" he asked

"I don't know.." said Ginny doubtfully. She'd never had a thing stronger than butterbeer.

"It's good." Draco said, relaxing back a little into the chair again.

Blaise smiled charmingly at her. "It'll make you feel better." he said smoothly. Draco nodded, a smile creeping onto his face too.

"Alright." said Ginny slowly, looking around for a glass.

Blaise smirked. "Just drink from the bottle." Draco pushed the bottle a little closer to her. Ginny picked it up. Studying it doubtfully for a moment she look into the bottle. Then she slowly brought it up to her lips a took a big gulp. She spluttered, managing to get it on her robes.

"You ok?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah." said Ginny, coughing. "I've just... Never had this stuff before."

Blaise raised an eyebrow at Draco, over Ginny's head and mouthed 'this is gonna be fuuuun'. Draco smiled slightly, nodding discreetly. The mischievious look playing on Draco's face was only hidden when Ginny looked up at him. Slowly, Ginny took another, bigger gulp. She made a face but didn't cough this time. Draco watched, planning in his head to stay fairly sober. Blaise took the bottle taking another swig, then passing it to Draco.

Draco took only the smallest amount. "So, why did you come down here?" he asked.

"I always come down here and drink cocoa when I'm upset." said Ginny, a bit shortly. She took another, huge gulp of wine. She had started liking the warm feeling that passed through her every time she drank.

Draco looked round for a house elf. "Oi." he said, the house elf, coming over obediently, bowed. "Another bottle." he snapped. The house elf came staggering over with a bottle, half as large as himself. Draco took it from him, not saying a word. Ginny was already finishing off the first bottle. It had been half full when she'd come in. Draco opened the next. Blaise took it from him and had a sip before Ginny grabbed it, a bit violently, and took another huge gulp. She wasn't exactly stopping to savor the delicious taste or anything along those lines. Draco watched her drink at this rate, slightly astounded.

"Why do you wear black so much?" Ginny questioned Draco, slurring her words slightly.

"I want to." replied Draco.

"But why?" slurred Ginny. Blaise was trying not to snicker.

"Because I like it. Enough of an answer?"

"But why do you like it?" she said, nearly whining. Blaise was having a very, very hard time not cracking up.

"It's a good color." He said, keeping himself composed quite well.

"It's not color, it's absence of color." said Ginny in a still slurred voice. Draco scowled slightly, leant forward and covered Ginny's mouth with his hand. She licked the inside of his hand, giggling in a muffled voice. He took his hand away quickly, looking at his hand, before leaning over and wiping it on Ginny's arm.

"Ewwww!" she said. He'd gotten it on her actual arm, because her sleeves had rolled back. Blaise started laughing.

"It was your spit." Draco said, shrugging slightly.

Ginny took another huge, huge gulp of wine, getting out of her seat. "Stand back everyone, I take large steps!" she said. While trying to demonstrate she fell and landed on her stomach at Draco's feet. She picked one up and studied it. Then she looked up at his hands. "Big hands and big feet, you know what that means." said Ginny, winking at Draco. "Big gloves and big socks!!!" Blaise had compeltely lost it and was cackling into his hands, elbows on knees, shoulders shaking.

Draco sniggered, finding his feet being picked up quite a weird feeling. "Get up." he said, holding out a hand for her.

"What?" said Ginny, looking confused. "What's so funny? It's true, isn't it?"

Draco nodded. "It is." He glanced to Blaise, and had to try really hard not to crack up. Ginny took his hand, but instead of using it to help in getting up, she pulled down on it. He ended up on top of her, between her knees, hands on either side of her shoudlers. Blaise looked up to see what had caused the muffled thump and saw. He cracked up again. Ginny was giggling like mad already. Draco laughed down at her, she was so funny drunk, not to mention cute, hot, and well, civil to him.

"It's not funny." said Ginny, but she was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe. Draco, tried to get up, his arms aching slightly. She grabbed his robe and pulled him flat on top of her. "Hey, am I drunk?" she asked, looking serious. Blaise's shoudlers started shaking harder. He was probably having an epileptic fit.

"Yes." replied Draco, nodding slightly, being on top of Ginny wasn't that bad.

"I'm funny drunk." said Ginny as she cracked up again.

"I noticed." said Draco, trying to get up.

"Well then why aren't you laughing?" demanded Ginny. She turned him over and began tickling him. Draco screwed his face up, determind not to laugh, but couldn't hold it in.

"Draco's tiiiickliiiish!" chanted Ginny gleefully as she pinned him down, her knees on his, her torso pinning his.

Blaise had mostly recovered from his hysterics. "You're a foot taller than her, you can get her off!" he called, chuckling.

"Heh, that sounds wrong." said Ginny, giggling.

"Who said I wanted to!" Draco said, half laughing, half sounding mischievious.

Ginny stopped tickling him, looking at him intently. "You're hot." she finally said. That set Blaise off again.

Draco let his head fall back to the floor for a few moments, laughing, before looking up at her again and saying, after looking back intently at her. "You too."

Ginny snorted, sitting up so she was straddling his hips. "I'm too short."

"Too short?" asked Draco bluntly, propping himself up slightly on his elbows. Ginny nodded, eyes big, lips pouting.

"You're not." said Draco, pushing his hair from his face, only for it to fall back again.

"And I have freckles on my nose." said Ginny, scrunching said nose in distaste. Draco reached up, and poked her in the nose as she scrunched it.

"Eek! Oh, and I have no boobs." said Ginny, looking down at them and poking them experimentally. She hated that she was only an A cup. Blaise had slipped out while they were talking.

Draco looked curiously at her, then proded her chest. "I disagree, you do have boobs." he said, matter of factly.

"Barely." said Ginny, seemingly undisturbed by the prodding. "Besides, I'm wearing PADDED BRA!" she paused. "Oh, I mean _A_ PADDED BRA."

Draco, raised an eyebrow at her. "But you do have boobs." he pushed his whole hand gently against her now.

"Are you feeling me up?"

"So what if I am?" he said curiously.

"Feels good." she said.

Draco sat up a little more, having not moved his hand. Ginny cocked her head to one side. Draco looked up at her, cocking his head slightly to the other. Ginny leaned in and kissed him. Draco kissed her back, one arm supporting him, the other that had been on her chest sliding to her back. She slid her hand behind his neck. In his head, he was whooping with triumph, unfortunately, Ginny was drunk, but he had still suceeded. Ginny let her lips part. Draco let his, a hand running up her back, into her hair. She 'mmm'ed into the kiss, sitting up, pulling him with her so she was sitting in his lap, facing him. Sliding her hands around to his back Ginny gently bit his bottom lip, then traced it with her tongue. He pushed his tongue against her's, both arms now free, to move around her. Ginny let her small hands drift up his back, over his shoulders, onto his chest. The house elves had decided (thankfully, as Draco probably would have beat to a pulp anyone who intterupted) to stay away from them. The blonde Slytherin pulled away soon for air.

"You're an even better kisser than Harry." said Ginny breathlessly.

Draco smiled. "I would imagine."

"Conceited." she said good naturedly.

"As always." he said, both his hands resting on her lower back.

"Where'd Blaise go?" asked Ginny suddenly, looking about for the handsome blackhaired Slytherin.

Draco shook his head. "Don't know." Ginny shrugged as if to say 'oh well'.

Draco leant forward, and kissed her. Ginny kissed him back. He ran his hand over her back. Ginny pulled away, grinning She took his hand and put it back on her breast. "I liked it there." she whispered, giggling and then kissing him again.

Honestly, Ginny Weasley should not have been hot at this moment. Her hair was frizzy and messy. She hadn't had a shower after quidditch. Her eyes were still red and she was pink from all the alcohol. But, for some reason, she was adorable anyway. Ginny reached between the two of them and started unbuttoning her quidditch robes to show the tiny white tank top (with padded bra) and black short shorts underneath. The outfit had obviously not been for anyone to see. The tank top was too small and showed a length of ivory stomach. The shorts were so tiny they almost looked liked underwear. Ginny shrugged the robe off her shoulders, letting it fall and kneeling to slip it out from under her bottom. It lay in a red and gold pile behind Ginny. Draco ran his cold hands over her stomach, then up the back of her white tank top, kissing her back all the while. Ginny shivered, and not just because Draco's hand were cold. The alcohol had flushed his cheeks slightly, adding slight colour to his face.

Draco pulled Ginny right against him, his black robes half off of his shoulder. Ginny moaned softly, low in her throat. He pulled from her lips, beginning to caress her throat. Ginny let her head drop back, exposing a long length of white neck. Her hair fell over her shoulders like some sort of thick, silky liquid, sweat having made the frizz lay flat.

Blaise had poked his head round the door, to see if they were still there.

While Draco was kissing her Ginny grabbed the hem of her shirt, starting to pull it up. Draco had hickied her neck unintentionally a few times. He began helping her pull her shirt up and off. She pulled it over her head and it landed behind her, on top of the robes. Blaise smirked. Ginny was now straddling Draco, wearing only a white bra and tiny black short shorts. His robes were half open, baring his toned, marble white chest. He ran a hand up into her hair, before kissing her again. She let her eyes drift closed, kissing him back. She reached behind herself and undid the clasp of her bra, then went back to kissing him, still covered, but now it was jsut a matter of pushing down the straps, like pulling a curtain to one side.

Draco ran his hand to her shoulders, then brushed the straps down, her bra falling away. He then pulled his bare chest against hers. Ginny took in a sharp breath, letting it out in a moan. Draco, kissed her neck, before suddenly realising the situation he was in. Blaise had, once again left. It was one thing to watch people making out, another when it was your best friend.

"Ginevra." muttered Draco slightly breathless.

"What..." murmured Ginny, using the pause to grab the wine and take another slug, because she wasn't drunk enough.

"You're drunk. " he said, looking up at her. "And I'm taking advantage."

"I don't mind..." said Ginny, smirking. She rubbed against him suggestively. Draco gazed at her, not sure what to do. Ginny looked at him, and it wasn't her usual innocent little gaze. It was rather smoldering. He had given her a chance to pull out of this. He kissed her again. Draco pulled his robe off of his shoulders. Ginny pulled back, something flashing through her eyes. She covered herself up, having a moment of sobriety.

Draco slowly let go of her. "What?"

"What am I doing?" she said, still drunk and disoriented, just having a bit more sense. Draco, placed his hands on the floor, leaning back, looking away from her, dropping his eyes. Ginny looked at him, confused.

"You were making out with me." He said, glancing up at her, the alcohol content of his blood made him slightly more human.

"But I just broke up with... Harvey? Harry."

"You did." he replied. She just gave him a puzzled sort of look, her arms crossed over her breasts. Draco couldn't help thinking that she still looked hot. He smiled slightly at her, watching what she was going to do.

"I... I should.. go..." said Ginny, grabbing behind her for her robes, backing up off of Draco's lap.

"Shit." said Ginny. She rested her forehead on the heels of her hands."Shit shit shit..."

Draco looked at her clothes that had been soaked with the wine, and peeled his robe off, revealing a black shirt, which was unbuttoned, took off, then handed it to her. "Take it." Ginny nodded and took it. She slipped it over her shoulders, buttoned it up. It was long enough that it went halfway to her knees. Draco pulled his robe up again, and got up, pushing his hair from his face. While Draco was looking the other way, Ginny disappeared through the portrait hole. She had left her bra, and her quidditch robes.

The next morning Ginny woke in the common room. She hadn't made it all the way to her bed. It was very, very early. "Oh my god... I feel sick." said Ginny. Getting up she ran to the bathroom and threw up into the toilet. She didn't remember what had happened last night. it was all a void after her first few glugs of wine.

Draco had ended up sprawled across his bed, looking particularly rough. He hadn't got to bed until it had started to get light, and after Ginny had left, had drunk more.

Ginny noticed what she was wearing. "Where the hell did this come fro-" then it all came flooding back. "Oh my god. Oh my god." she threw up again. "The first boy to see my breasts was Draco Malfoy. Oh my god... I made out with Draco Malfoy." she paused. "And I liked it. Shit. Shit shit shit..." she took a deep breath, trying not to throw up again. "My quidditch robes... And my... My bra. I left them. Draco malfoy has my bra. Merlin's bleeding testicles.

Draco's eyes flickered open over in his room. His black curtains were drawn around him, sheilding the light that was surely hitting them by now. Hang overs. Not good.

Time moved on. Far too slowly for Ginny. Eventually, midnight rolled around, Ginny was laying on ehr bed, feeling like shit. Suddenly, she started feeling pissed off. really, really pissed off. "He got me drunk. That fucking bastard got me drunk, and then took advantage of me. That FUCKING white haired BASTARD!"

Draco by now had managed to crawl out of bed, and out into the grounds, he was int eh shade of a tree, his face and hair reflecting to much light to be good, you could spot him a mile off. Ginny crawled out of bed with one purpose in mind. Killing a certain platnium haired Slytherin with her bare hands. He had managed to drink away most of last night, but remembered Ginny, and her bra. That was about it.

She looked out her window and spotted the glint of platnium hair. "Malfoy." she hissed through clenched teeth. She went out the door, forgetting that she was wearing only a too-big shirt and tiny shorts. Getting outside, she stormed down the lawn towards Malfoy. He hadn't noticed, his eyes were shut, his back turned slightly towards her.

"Malfoy!" snapped Ginny through clenched teeth.

He opened his eyes and looked round, "What?"

"You BASTARD!!!" Ginny came round infront of him and smacked him. He didn't flinch, half expecting she'd do that. As he mentally numbed the pain, his stony face expression was cast up at her, eyes staring.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"For what?"

"For deliberately getting me drunk when you knew I was fucked up, Malfoy!! For letting me... Letting me make a complete fool of myself!"

"I didn't get you drunk." he replied calmly. "And you didn't make a fool of yourself."

"I nearly freaking had sex with you! That's pretty damn foolish! And shoving a bottle of wine at a depressed teenage girl who's never even had a wine cooler before is pretty damn deliberate."

"You obviously don't remember me stopping." he said. "Then you pushing it further." he got up. "And I didn't push it in your face, as you so kindly put it."

"I was DRUNK! Am I supposed to be the responsible one? You weren't drunk, not enough to not know what you were doing."

"Not when I offered you it, you weren't."

Ginny wanted to cry, or scream. Soemthing. Anything. He was making her feel like shit. "I was upset. I was... Half insane." she took a shaky breath. Her excuses sounded weak, even to her.

Draco looked down at her. "You got yourself drunk, you can't pin it on anyone but you." He said icily. He knew she couldn't keep this up much longer. Ginny burst into tears. She was sick, her head hurt, and she felt guilty and ashamed and stupid and helpless. She pulled her knees up, buried her face in them and sobbed uncontrollably. He watched her, before, cautiously, touching her on the shoulder to comfort her.

"You're so strange." muttered Ginny to her knees.

Draco took his hand away from her, pulling into himself. "Thanks." he simply replied.

"You just made me feel like some sort of whore, and now you're comforting me... I don't understand you."

"No one does." replied Draco shortly, glancing from her, over to the lake.

"I almost thought we were friends." whispered Ginny. He glanced over at her again. Only one person had ever used that term before about him, and meant it, and Ginny having said it, threw him completely. She could tell by the look on his face. "But I guess I was wrong. Look, just keep my bra, whatever. Night." said Ginny, getting up.

"Wait." said Draco, watching her. "You weren't wrong."

Ginny looked at him. "Sooo... Do you initiate all your friends by getting them really, really drunk and then mauling their breasts? asked Ginny with a cocked eyebrow. She looked rather scarily like Balise when she did that. Sounded like him too. "Bet you and Blaise had a lot of fun." she was still pissed at him, but she really didn't have any good friends. She had lots of friends, but no one to whom she told everything. Well, there was Luna but she was often off hunting snorkacks. She couldn't see Draco in that capacity but she also couldn't pass up the chance for a friend. Ginny looked funny, standing over him, her hair a mess, her face even paler then usual,hair hanging limp around her face, looking as though all she was wearing was a shirt, because it covered her shorts.

Draco got up, and brushed himself off. "That's not what happnened." he replied, all this coming flooding back to him, as she said words which triggered them off in his head. Ginny gave him a look, planting her hands on her hips. "Blaise left, I don't know when, you got yoyr self drunk, pinned me to the floor, and things happened." he said, a chill wind whipping at his face, throwing his white hair up.

"Right, all my fault, I'm a drunken whore, can we move on now?" asked Ginny rbiskly.

Draco rather resented her calling herself a drunken whore. "If you feel the need to." Draco pushed his hair back from his face, before crossing his arms.

"Well then what do you see me as, smart arse?" asked Ginny, seeing that he didn't like that either.

"Ginevra, a smart beautiful girl, who simply got drunk, and lost her inhibitions." He replied, although he showed no emtion, he really meant it. Ginny sighed and sat down near him, although not too close.

"Hang overs are from hell." she said almost companionably.

He looked at her, sitting back down. "They are." he replied, stabbing little holes into the ground with his eyes. Ginny glanced sideways at him through a curtain of hair. He was almost hugging himself at this point, the grace all but gone. Ginny sucked in a breath sharply, leaned over and kissed rDaco. She had to see something. He was shocked, but began kissing her back, a hand moving to the side of her face.

Ginny pulled back. "Oh fuck." she said fervently, getting up. "I have to go.. I... Night." Ginny disappeared.

"Oh, Night." He replied, wondering what she had done that for.

Ginny lay on her bed, Sunday morning, staring at the ceiling. "I like being kissed by Draco Malfoy. Even when I'm not drunk. Okay. Not good. Not good at all. I can't like Malfoy. He's... Malfoy. He's an asshole." Everyone was still asleep, it being a sunday meant that everyone slept in. "Why did I break up with Harry?" Ginny asked herself. "I... I'll make up with him. He's who I like, my parents love him, he's practically part of the family anyway. We're meant for each other. It was a stupid mistake. I'll... I'll just apoligize." it was a testimony to how freaked out she was that she was going to apoligize to Harry. Especially after she'd made a rather big deal out of trying to assert herself.

Malfoy pulled himself out of bed once again, looking round the room, wondering where Blaise got to. Blaise popped his head round a corner, looking cheerful. "Morning!"

" Hey." croaked Draco, his voice tired and sounding under used.

"You were incredibly wasted last night man, you didn't even wake up until after I went to Daphne's room. You weren't that drunk Friday night, what happened?"

"Ginevra happened, and I drank more."

"Ah. And last night? I know you got up at some point cause I came back at one and you were gone."

"Was out in the grounds." replied Draco, pulling off his shirt.

"And? I know something must've happened. I WILL pry it out of you."

Draco sighed, going through his stuff for something clean. "I made out with her, a lot."

"Yeah, I know that. That was Friday. That was night ebfore last. I'm talking about last night. The day where you were wasted enough that you didn't get out of bed till midnight. So, technically I'm talking about this morning."

"I didn't want to get up." He replied, "I had the worst hang over."

"Yes. But like I said, you must have left at some point, I saw your empty bed. You've said you were out on the grounds. You wouldn't be avoiding the subject this much if something hadn't happened you didn't like. Spill, enough with the stalling."

"She came out and said I took advantage of her, got her drunk, that I made her feel like shit, that she didn't understand me. That point, she kissed me, then got up, swearing alot and left me there alone."

"And yet she said she didn't understand you?" Blaise snorted. Draco pulled on a black shirt, and black combat trousers. "So what are you going to do about it?" asked Blaise.

"I have no idea." replied Draco, taking some gel from a pot on his dresser, and running through his hair.

"Some fucking Slytherin you are." said Blaise.

A week later Ginny got back together with Harry, quite publicly. She spent her time making sure everybody knew how happy she and Harry were. In her spare time, she avoided Draco. Before they knew it it was a month sicne Ginny had made out with Draco on the kitchen floor. Blaise was thoroughly sick of hearing Draco mutter about what a scaredy cat Ginny was and what a lucky, undeserving bastard Harry was. He was just about ready to get a new best friend.

"Dont have to listen to me." Draco said icily, as Blaise had once again complained. His voice dropped. "Now would be the best time to get Ginny back, but, I have no idea how."

"You're a Slytherin. Think. Seduce her. SOMETHING!" Draco looked over at her, schmoozing with Harry, again. He began to think, ticking over in his mind all he had tried before. "Because if you don't do something soon I'm going to take her." said Blaise with a smirk.

"Fuck you." said Draco, dangerously.

"When where and how hard?"

"You need more to think about." said Draco, his voice dripping with annoyance, with a thoughtful undertone.

"No, I need Daphne is what I need. She's off with Terry somewhere, however." said Blaise with no jealousy. Draco rolled his eyes. Something, was slowly coming into being in his head, It wasn't much of a plan, but he needed to get her alone. "What? Jealousy is a wasted emotion. And anyway, she _is_ going out with him."

"That the only reason your here sitting with me now, is 'cause you can't go off and fuck her?"

"Nah, I'd stick around till you were sick of me. Girls are all over,f riends aren't." said Blaise, shrugging.

"Hmmm." He looked around the hall, before looking around, and dropping his voice to a low whisper leaning into Blaise, a secretive look about him. Blaise listened carefully. "Hogsmeade weekend, next weekend, is it not?" Blaise nodded.

"Harry, undoubtedly will take her to the three broom sticks. I spike Harry's drink, he gets knocked out cold, and hidden, Crabbe and Goyle will take care of that. Thats my chance to go find Ginny, and then see what happens from there."

"You're going to knock out Potter?" said Blaise, dead pan. "I love it." he smirked.

"Think it'll work?" He asked, the malice back in his voice.

"Not if Ginny knows you knocked Potter out. It'll have to be soemthing that'll take awhile to work."

"Yea, I think a visit to Serverus would give me an idea or two."

"Make him think you're doing an essay or soemthing. He _is_ a teacher, even if you two do get along."

"Well, get planning then. I'm going to go find Daphne."

"Bye..." said Draco, sitting up. Blaise disappeared. Ginny kissed Harry and left herself.

The week whirred by and soon it was Saturday. Time for the Hogsmeade weekend. Draco had got a vial of slow acting sleeping draught, which he had made during his Potions classes.

Ginny was getting ready for her date with Harry. When she finally came down the stairs, Harry was shifting from foot to foot. He barely noticed the way she looked. Ginny felt miffed. She had spent a lot of time picking through the Hogsmeade thriftstore last time she was there to find soemthing decent, and she looked quite cute. Her blue dress was a little faded, maybe, but it was adorable. her legs were covered in white stockings. She had pulled her hair back into a neat pony tail and a black cloak was thrown over her shoulders.

"You look nice." said Ginny pointedly to Harry.

"You too." said Harry, but he wasn't even looking at her.

"Thanks."

Draco was waiting back in the shadows of the entrance hall, waiting for Harry and Ginny to leave, so that he knew exactly where they were. They came down the stairs. Harry was talking animatedly to Ron and Hermione. Ginny's pink-painted lips were pursed into a frown, her arms crossed over her chest. Harry was completely ignoring her. Draco watched, seeing Ginny bored and being ignored. He decided to let them know he was around.

"Harry, where are we going in Hogsmeade?" asked Ginny in a pause of the Trio's conversation.

"Wha? Oh, dunno, Gin." said Harry dsitractedly. They went back to talking.

"Harry, why don't we go to the shrieking shack, and I can run around naked in front of Malfoy?" asked Ginny.

"Sounds like fun Gin." said Harry absently. Ginny gave a little frustrated scream. Draco walked past the group, a great swish of his warm robes bollowing out behind him, making him almost look like a spectre. His jaw had dropped as he heard her mention the words 'naked' and 'running around infront of Malfoy'. He then thought about it a small smile appearing on his face.

Ron looked up. He couldn't notice Ginny talking about running about naked in front of his worst enemy, but if that worst enemy some much as swirled his cloak, he noticed. "What do you want, Malfoy?" hissed Ron. Harry's eyes narrowed and he snaked an arm around Ginny. Oh so NOW he pays attention to me. thoguht Ginny.

Draco turned around, his peircing eyes locking with Ron's. "Why would it concern you?" he said, a sting in his voice. His eye flicked to Ginny for an instant. He held the vial, clasped in one hand protectively.

"Quit looking at my sister." snapped Ron.

Draco eyes shifted to Harry. "Only acknowlegding Ginerva's there when I walk past, Potter?" he said, his eyes narrowed slightly, his thin lips forming the words with pure hatred lacing each syllable.

"Since when do you call my sister by her first name?" asked Ron. Harry glared at Draco.

"I was acknowlegding her. wasn't I, Gin-gin?"

"Actually, you were ignoring me." said Ginny, more then a little pissed off. Draco raised an eyebrow at Harry, a smirk passing over his face, before he turned, and pushed open the entrance hall door. Ginny sighed and walked on with Harry, who looked miffed and dropped his arm from her after draco left, going back to chatting with Hermione and Ron. Hermione shot Ginny a sympathetic look. Draco was visible, walking infront of them all the way into hogsmeade.

The Trio decided to go to the Three Broomsticks, without consulting Ginny. She would have chosen to go there, but it was the principle of the thing. She'd managed to make herself forget that Harry tended to ignore her around 'Mione and Ron. And he tended to want to be around them. A lot. Draco had gone into the Threebroomsticks aswell, and was having a very fast conversation with one of the Bar workers. Ginny glanced over at Draco. Harry dragged her over to sit at a booth while he went to get butterbeer for the four of them. He came back and plopped their drinks down. Hermione, Ron and Ginny all picked them up, uncorking them and sipping.

Draco was going to have their next round sent over, making sure that Harry got the drugged bottle. Seeing as he had just handed over a fair amount of galleons, this had to go right. It was more complicated then he had expected, because he hadn't factored Hermione and Ron into the equation. He thought quickly to himself, wondering a way around the problem.

Ginny had given up on trying to be part of the conversation and was rolling her now-empty bottle back and forth between her small hands, a bored expression gracing her little features, her bottom lip clasped between her teeth. Draco had been keeping his eye on Ginny. Seeing how he was ignoring his own girlfriend, Draco was getting silently more and more furious with Harry.

Ginny got up, dropping her bottle with a clatter. Harry jumped. "Gin, what is it?"

"I understand that you're close to Hermione and Ron. But, Harry, we're suppsoed to be going out! You've barely said five scentences to me the whole time we have been here! I'm going shopping. Enjoy your 'date'. Just... Find me when you have time for me." said Ginny. She pushed her chair back and left. Malfoy stealthily followed her out, making sure golden boy didn't see him following her.

Ginny was already halfway down the street, heading towards the shrieking shack. She had pulled her hair out of her ponytail and it swept out behind her, almost to the bottoms of her shoulder blades now, because she hadn't cut it since before September, before the beginning of school. Her cloak billowed out as she walked, making the patch at the bottom rather obvious. Draco followed quickly, pulling his robes and cloak about him tightly, the air was nippy, and as he breathed, his breath formed icy clouds infront of him.

Ginny got up to the top of the hill a few minutes before Draco. She stood, profiled against a grey sky, blowing air onto her hands, trying to keep warm.

He silently walked up behind her, and almost whispered her name, "Ginevra."

Ginny jumped and turned around. "Malfoy." she said, trying to compose herself.

He bowed his head slightly in greeting. "Wandering up to the Shreiking shack alone?" He asked, his white nose tinged slightly pink in the cold air.

"Good view." said Ginny.

"Indeed." replied Draco, his voice, usually colder than the current weather, now quite warm.

"What are you doing up here?" questioned Ginny.

"Was bored with The Three broomsticks." replied Draco.

"Oh." said Ginny intelligently. He nodded, before looking up and around, the grey sky above them gently beginning to let a small number of snowflakes fall. Ginny tilted her head up and stuck out her tongue.

Draco watched her, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

She put in her tongue and looked at him. "Catching snowflakes." she dropped her head back again and her tongue reappeared. They began catching in his hair, and on his eye lashes. Draco looked at her a little confused, beginning to brush them from his shoulders. They were soon masked from view as the snowflakes got bigger and more and more began to fall.

"I love snow." said Ginny after having caught a few snowflakes.

"I'm indifferent to it." He said, watching the villiage disappear behind the torrnet of Snow. "So, I saw Potter decided to ignore you, again." Ginny shrugged, looking at the ground. "He shouldn't do that." He said, catching some flakes in his thin white hand.

"How could you be indifferent to something so beautiful?" Ginny asked, ignoring his comments about Harry.

"I have been compaired to it too much. You know. Cold, and well, white." Draco pushed a hand through his hair, looking up again.

"I think you're more like an ice block." said Ginny, shooting a smirk at him.

Draco glanced down at her. "Need a fire to melt ice." said Draco, a slight mischeivious curl to his lip.

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm sure Blaise would be happy to melt you right now." said Ginny, being deliberately obtuse.

"Blaise is busy steaming up Daphne Greengrass."

"Isn't she dating Terry Boot?"

"Most probably." replied Draco, giving up on brushing himself off.

"Does Terry know about Blaise?"

"I doubt it, but probably will at some point soon." Ginny frowned. Draco glanced at her.

"What?" asked Ginny.

"Just thinking." replied Draco, knowing that soon, Harry would be passing out.

"It's a nice place to think." said Ginny, catching a snowflake on her figner tip and licking it off.

"When you have the time." said Draco, looking around for something to sit on other than the snowy hard ground below him.

"And permission to be in Hogsmeade." added Ginny.

"Indeed." the snow had began to calm down. "That why you are up here? To think?" asked Draco. Ginny nodded.

"Potter, that bastard." Draco muttered to himself.

"What was that?"

He looked at her. "Potter, is a bastard." repeated Draco, louder, this time. Ginny blinked. Draco shrugged, seeing no problem with what he said.

"Why do you think that?" asked Ginny.

"Ignoring you, only putting his arm round you when I showed up." replied Draco.

"Oh."

"He shouldn't ignore you."

"He doesn't always. He's just distracted."

"I'd noticed."

Ginny sighed. "He's clsoe to Ron and hermione. That's all. He pays attention to me when they're not around."

"Shame he's with them most the time then." Ginny didn't answer. "And don't you ever get sick of hearing the name 'Gin-gin?' " He wondered. Drake wound him up anough, but that was nothing compaired to gin gin.

Ginny started laughing. "I hate that nickname!"

Draco smiled slightly. "I think Potter is the only one who doesn't."

"My brothers call me that. Not Bill and Charlie, but the other four. Mum and Dad do, too."

His eyes widened slightly. "I'd hate it. Blaise pisses me off enough calling me - " He stopped short of saying the nickname.

"C'mon, spill!"

"Drake." said Draco through gritted teeth.

She started to snicker. "Well it's..." she gasped for air. "Not as bad ... as Gin-gin."

"I agree." He said, pulling his black robes around him, slightly cold.

"Long enough, and don't you start." said Draco dangerously, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Whatever do you mean, Drakie?"

Ginny could tell it was winding him right up. "How ever long I feel like." said Draco, his teeth clenched, jaw tense with annoyance. Ginny was just overjoyed to have finally found soemthing that got udner the invincible Draco Malfoy's skin. He looked away, down to the ground, his hair covered the look of pure annoyance plastered all over his face.

"I'm sorry, Malfoy, it's just great to finally have something over you that actually bothers you." He glanced up at her, pushing the hair from his face, shaking his head alittle at the fact she now could get one over on him, if she ever wanted to. Ginny yawned, shaking her head, making snowflakes falling off of her in a little rain. He looked back down at the villiage of Hogsmeade, wondering if he wanted to move or not from up there atop a hill with Ginny. She stole a sneaky sideways glance at Draco. He was staring off into space, thinking. His blonde hair whipped about his face as a chill wind passed right through them. Ginny shivered and pulled her cloak closer about her. It was old, having been Bill's when he was in school and, needless to say, it really didn't stand up all that well to the wind.

"Cold?" Draco's low voice was smooth, when he wasn't an iceblock, he sounded quite reasonable.

"No, I'm fine." said Ginny, but she was shivering.

"Your freezing." Draco pointed out. He peeled off his outer black robe, and handed it over to her. "It was too warm for me." he said.

"Really, I'm fine." said Ginny, hating anything that smacked of charity. She tried to hand it back. Her teeth were chattering. Draco took it from her, and before she could stop him, he wrapped it around her shoulders, the soft lining warming her up almost instanly.

Ginny looked at him. She didn't shrug off the cloak. "T-thanks." she said stiffly.

"Don't mention it." said Draco. "You'll be warmer."

"I'll give it back before I go back to the castle." she said.

"Give it back, when you don't need it." He said, crossing his arms. She just nodded. He smiled briefly, before going back to staring down at the villiage.

"Malfoy, I hate to break this to you, but it's rather obvious you were following me earlier. So.. Why?"

"Ginevra." sighed Draco. He decided to throw himself in the deep end, again. "I like you."

"Well we are friends." said Ginny, going to route of deliberate obtuseness. Again.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Surely you know what I mean."

"Yes, I'm not as stupid as I look." said Ginny tiredly.

"You look far from stupid, and you've been avoiding me."

"Brilliant deduction."

"I pride myself on my observational abilities."

"Okay then, long story short, yes, I've been avoiding you. And look how well it's working!"

Draco laughed slightly. "Why were you avoiding me, if we are friends?"

Ginny looked at the ground and muttered something unintelligible.

Draco strained to hear "What was that?" he asked with curiosity.

"You're not supposed to kiss your friends."


	4. Dreams and bubbles

Ginny woke up with a start. Oh no. The dream again. But... it had been worse this time. Ginny ewas breathing hard, sweating, she felt hot. Sitting up, Ginny threw off her covers. It was in early December. She was still going out with Harry.  
  
She kept having the same dream and it was scaring her. It couldn't be true. It would certainly mean doom for her and Harry's relationship if it was. She shook herself. Of course it wasn't true. Dreams were symbolic. it meant something, certainly, but it was just her subconscious telling her something. It had nothing to do with what actually went on in the dream.

Still sweating, Ginny took a deep breath and lay back down. She needed sleep, desperately. Tomorrow was another Hogsmeade weekend. Harry hadn't asked her. He'd told her that he had to study. Hermione and Ron had both told her the same thing and when she'd asked if she could study with them they'd quickly said it was something she wasn't learning that year. She wouldn't learn it until seventh year, they had said. They didn't want to break the rules by teaching it to her too early. Right. So convincing!  
  
Didn't want to break the rules? They broke the rules all the time! How stupid did they think she was? It was obvious something was going that they didn't want her for. But what? And why!? Hadn't she amply proven at the Ministry two years ago that she could fend for herself? Hadn't she cursed Malfoy? Hadn't she helped get them all both into and out of the Ministry? Wasn't that enough to prove that she was competent? That she knew what she was doing and was perfectly capable of fighting for the Order and the side of light?  
  
Obviously not.

Ginny woke the next morning, tired and clammy and red-eyed. Moaning under her breath the reached through her curtain voer to her bedside table. "Pepper-up potion..." muttered Ginny. She grabbed on to a vial and pulled it to her. Uncorking it, she took a sip. Her dream had been giving her so much trouble that she'd gone to Madame Pomfrey to get a pepper-up potion.  
  
Ron, Harry and Hermione had noticed (after a few weeks) that she hadn't been looking well, and Jackie Hariss told Hermione that Ginny hadn't been sleeping. Ginny told them she'd been kept up with cramps. The boys bought it. Ginny had known they would. Their wish was to never, ever talk about 'that time of the month' so they didn't question that she was having cramps far more than one week out of a month.  
  
Hermione had confronted her, but Ginny had said it was just OWL stress from much studying. Hermione had made sympathetic noises and patted Ginny's arm. She then complimented Ginny on her dedication before going off to find Ron for a little snogging.

"I'm so glad it's Saturday.." whispered Ginny, while smoke came billowing out of her ears. "I can stay here in the nice, quiet dorm and sleep." she snorted. "Sleep. Right. I'm told it's great. Lovely. I'm talking to myself. That's all I need. A trip to St. Mungo's." the red head shivered involuntarily.

Ginny decided not to go to Hogsmeade. This would be a great oppurtunity to take very long, very hot, very bubbly bath in the prefect's bathroom, uninterrupted by people trying to bang down the locked door. She'd just have to be careful she didn't fall asleep and drown herself. That could be a problem. Ginny grabbed a robe and a towel.

The Gryffindor walked down the stairs into the common room, then out the portrait hall to the entrance of the prefect's bathroom. "Lilywater." she muttered, and the statue that stood infront of the entrance slid open.

Ginny took off her pajamas and started running the water, and bubbles, huge thick white ones. Soon the tub, which was the size of a small swimming pool, was full of hot water and white bubbles.

Draco, who had decided to stay back from Hogsmeade as well and had made the descion to have a bath, finally made it down to the bathroom, and muttered the password at the door.

Ginny was floating in the water, eyes closed, covered in bubbles, when Draco entered the bathroom. He had not noticed her there, only that the bath was full. He dropped his stuff by one of the sinks, and looked at himself in the mirror.

Ginny had started softly humming a weird sister's song. Draco heard it and looked round, and spied a large mass of red hair and a white face protruding from the water. Draco moved so quietly that Ginny (whose ears were, after all, under water), hadn't heard him moving around.

"Ginevra." whispered Draco to himself, setting himself up on the marble sink top.

Ginny sat up, feeling a bit better, more then ready to play around in the bath (bubbles, whee!). Then she noticed Draco. "AHH! Malfoy! What the fuck?" her eyes were all wide and she'd grabbed a whole bunch of bubble and pulled them around her. He sat there, leaned against he mirrored wall, watching. "Aren't you leaving!?!"

"No." said Draco, and he shook his head.

"Why not?! I'm _naked_ udner all these bubbles, if you hadn't noticed. And I have a boyfriend. Helloooo? This is _not okay_!"

Draco shrugged, "Too many bubbles to see." he replied.

"It cannot possibly be this much fun to torture me."

"Why should it be torture?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Ginny, her hands going to her hips, although he couldn't see through the bubbles.

"Last time I saw you semi naked, you didn't seem to mind. What makes it different now?"

"I'm not drunk and I have a FUCKING BOYFRIEND!" said Ginny, the last few words being more screamed then said.

"I wouldn't call him much of a boyfriend." said Draco.

"Ok, we are not here to discuss my relationship with Harry. I am here to take a nice, peaceful bath to relax because I haven't slept more than two hours in a row for the past WEEK!" exploded Ginny. Her face was twitching.

"Haven't been sleeping?"

"Forget it. I'm taking my bath." said Ginny shortly.

"Alright, Ginevra." Malfoy said, sliding off the surface, and running some water into the gold basin infront of him.

"After you leave!" she said with a look like 'duh' on her face. "You cannot possibly mean to stay here while I take my bath." said Ginny flatly.

"I'll have my back to you." replied Draco.

"What are you doing that you even need to be in here?"

"Getting ready to take a bath." He said simply, beginning to remove his robes.

"**_What_**?!"

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Draco shed all his clothes. Ginny blinked and then couldn't look away. Yeah, she'd seen guys naked, but brothers didn't count and Draco Maloy was most definitely not Ginny's brother. Which was a good thing because Ginny had long ago decided it would be really gross to like to look at your brother naked.

"Merlin's bloody testicles." said Ginny, gaping at Draco as he got in.

"Lovely image that brings to mind." said Draco, dipping his shoulders ubder the water.

"When I can breathe again, I'll demonstrate on you." said Ginny.

"No, thanks." He said, his head disappearing under the water. When he surfaced his white hair was plastered to head. He pushed it back, rubbed his face slightly and shook his head, getting all the water off of it.

"It wasn't an offer."

"Fair enough." Draco closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the baths edge. Ginny was glad he was covered by bubbles because if he wasn't she would've stared (again) and that would have been embarassing. She really wasn't sure how to function normally, naked, in a bathtub with a boy who was decidedly _not_ her boyfriend.

Draco sighed, his shoulders were hurting he had a headache, and he was in a bath with Ginny Weasly.

"What? I'm sorry it's such a burden forcing a girl to take a bath with you."

Draco opened his eyes. "I feel like my heads going to explode, hence the sigh."

"You'll forgive me if I don't give you a back rub." said Ginny sarcastically. Draco rolled his eyes, and his head again disappeared under the water.

"Don't you dare open your eyes under water!"

"Ok." replied Draco, just before his mouth sunk under.

"This makes me so incredibly nervous." muttered Ginny to herself, looking around as though trying to see through all the bubbles. She wondered if she had enough time to get out of the tub and grab a towel before Draco surfaced. He was under there a good minute or so. Ginny made a dash for it, swimming to the steps out of the tub. Draco surfaced directly infront of her.

"Will you please let me through?" asked Ginny. She backed up a little, they were incredibly close.

"Maybe."

"Damn it Malfoy!"

"Why do you never call me Draco?"

"Why won't you let me through?"

"I'll answer when you do."

"Because you're a Slytherin." said Ginny uncomfortably.

"Because I wanted an answer."

"You specifically blocked me to ask that question?" said Ginny, giving him a look.

"No." said Draco, looking at her.

"Damn it, I worded the question wrong!" Ginny would've stamped her foot but it seemed pretty pointless. "But I don't suppose you'd answer if I worded it right." said Ginny.

Draco shrugged. "Might have done."

"I meant now."

"Try me."

"Why did you block me?" asked Ginny. "Hey, your eyes HAD to have been open under water for you to block me!"

"Wondered where you were going."

"I was trying to get out before you surfaced so you wouldn't see me naked."

"I'm getting out anyway." said Draco. He turned and proceeded to get out the bath. Ginny looked down at the bubbles so she wouldn't stare. He walked right over to his stuff, and picked up his towel from the side. Ginny looked back up when he had put on a towel. Then she went under the water. She came back up, her hair plastered to her neck and shoulders.

Draco glanced dwon at her, grabbing his other towel, and beginning to dry his hair. Ginny grabbed her shampoo from the edge of the tub, very nearly flashing Draco in the process and poured some shampoo into her hand. She started massaging it in, the excess running down her neck and shoulders. Draco couldn't help himself, his eyes fixed onto her.

"Would you stop staring, it's just lather." said Ginny without opening her eyes. He tilted his head, curious to how she knew. She went under, rinsing out her hair, and then surfaced. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "What? You've never sensed soembody staring at you before?"

"No." said Draco, throwing the towel back onto his stuff, his blonde hair fairly dry.

"With all the groupies you have? You must not be as good at sensing things as I thought." said Ginny.

"I don't need to sense i'm being stared at, ususally I know."

"Not if your eyes are closed you don't." said Ginny. Draco shrugged, and pulled on his boxers, before removing the towel that was around his waist.

"Nice boxers." said Ginny with a raised eyebrow. They were green with Slytherin snakes on them.

"Only clean pair I had."

"What do the other ones have on them, little Dark Marks?" said Ginny a bit cuttingly. Draco didn't answer.

"Are you leaving?"

"Why? Want me to stay here?" asked Draco, pulling a couple of vial out his wash kit.

"No smart arse, I'm getting pruny and I want to get out of the tub." said Ginny sharply. Draco rubbed the two oils into his face before pulling the rest of his clothes on. "Oh, for-bloody-get it." said Ginny. She swam over to the steps and go out of the tub, quickly grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herslf. Draco hadn't looked, however much he had wanted to. Ginny had noticed. "Thank you." said Ginny. "In some weird way, that was very sweet."

"It was?" asked Draco, shrugging slightly, pulling on his shirt.

"Yes, oh Prince of Darkness." said Ginny, rolling her eyes. She pulled a robe on and let the towel drop from underneath it. She grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her wet hair. "Bye, Draco." said Ginny, piling her things up and leaving before he could say anything. She was really good at that.

He glanced over as the door clicked shut behind her. A slightly smile spread across his face. "She called me Draco."

"She does that an awful lot, doesn't she?" said Blaise, coming out from a shower stall. "The running away I mean, not the calling you Draco."

"Yeah she does." said Draco. It suddenly hit him that Blaise was in the room talking to him. "When the hell did you turn up?!" he said, his face going whiter than it was, if at all possible.

"Been here the whole time. Followed Ginevra, because I knew you'd be coming down here too."

Draco was still in a state of semi-shock. His bottom jow kind of flapped a bit as he tried to work out what he wanted to say in return, getting nowhere.

"Before you get all worked up and punch me in the face, I closed my eyes when she got out. I'm no saint but you're my friend Drakie dearest."

"Urgh, honestly, stop calling me that!"

Blaise smirked. "But when you got out... Mmmm-mmm Drakie, I had no idea what you were hiding under those robes." then Blaise cracked up.

Draco scowled, "Perve."

"If you're just figuring that out after knowing me since we were in diapers, Draco, you're a sad, sad person." said Blaise. "But I tell you, it is a testament to how much I love you that I didn't look at Ginevra. You owe me. Because she is hot. When she's not scowling, that is."

"She's hot whatever." Draco replied, doing up his shirt. "And yeah, I owe you." he replied.

"Goody. Want to repay me in sexual favors?"

"If I really have to." replied Draco, that 'can't be bothered to insult you' tone in his voice.

"I meant to Ginevra, you sicko." said Blaise, cackling as he left the room. Draco gathered all his stuff up, muttering about how Blaise needed better things to do.

Jackie Hariss woke from her pleasant dreams with a start. Somebody was whimpering. It turned out to be Ginny. Considering it to be the only thing to do, Jackie got Hermione, who got Ron and Harry.

After being woken up, while Ginny should have been mad at having her sleep interrupted, she seemed relieved. When asked, no, interrogated, by her brother and company, she said it had just been a particularly bad dream. Hermione smiled gently, shooting a scary look at Ron when he tried to press the issue further. She gave Ginny a vial of dreamless sleep potion and that was that.

Later that same night all of Gryffindor was woken by a bloodcurdling scream. Ginny, trashing around in her sleep, knocked over the vial of dreamless sleep potion. When it was swept away by Hermione the next morning, no one noticed the warning label on the vial.  
  
**Warning: Dreamless sleep potion does not cure prophetic dreams. Instead, it aggravates them. Overly stressful prophetic dreams can cause bad health and bald patches. In those cases we reccomend large doses of warm milk.**


	5. I don't know what we are

It was December eighteenth. Everyone was sitting at breakfast. No one had noticed that a certain redhead had not touched her food, or that she had dark circles udner her eyes. Except for one single pair of silver eyes. However, the redhead didn't noticed the silver eyed boy watching her. She was watching the owls above them. Owlpost had come. He saw her eyes widen as a black owl came through the window.  
  
Draco watched, puzzled as her eyes grew wider and wider. He swore he almost heard her gasp as the owl dropped a letter right in front of Potter. He didn't, however, notice the dark looks Weasley Senior, the mudblood and Potter exchanged when they saw the seal on the letter. He was too busy watching a shocked look come over Ginny's face. Too busy watching tears well in her eyes.  
  
To his credit, Harry did notice when Ginny hurried got up from the table, but she told him that she needed to study and he let her go.  
  
"Worried about Ginevra?" said Blaise casually. They were sitting in their usual spot, head of Slytherin table, away from everyone else. They were after all, the kings of Slytherin.  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"Because you keep staring at her with this little brow wrinkling expression on this face. You have been for the past two weeks. I think you're getting frown lines, actually. Tragic, really." said Blaise, keeping his banter light, although he clearly really did want to talk.  
  
"Cut the shit Blaise."  
  
"That would be like cutting off my balls, Draco, darling."  
  
"Lovely imagery, really." said Draco with a disgsuted expression.  
  
"I am here only to entertain and drive you slowly to the brink of madness. So, back to the question at hand."

"One track mind. You're right. I never can get you off of my mind." Blaise slipped his hand over Draco's. "Marry me, stud?"  
  
"For merlin's sake, if you'll shut up I'll do whatever you want!"

Blaise made his eyes smolder. "What if it involves a pound of whipped cream, a naked Ginevra, a naked Daphne and a bath full of bubbles?"  
  
"Ohhh foursome, kinky." said Draco, trying not to laugh.

"Who said anything about four?" said Blaise.  
  
"Me, Daphne and Ginevra? That works." said Draco, laughing silently.  
  
"No, just Daphne and Ginevra. We get to watch, of course."  
  
"Heh, that works too." said Draco, shifting in his seat slightly.

"Yep. Didn't think you'd object too much there" said Blaise, smirking. "I'm gonna tell Ginevra on you."  
  
"What you're going to tell a girl who one, probably wouldn't care anyway since she doesn't like me and two, has six brothers that, like every other properly functioning male, I like girl on girl action. Please, don't, she'll faint from the shock." said Draco, wryly.

Blaise put his hand to his heart, an exaggerated expression of pain on her face. "You wound me with your sword of wit." he said melodramatically.  
  
"Oh shut _up_." said Pansy, with whom the two had a sort of uneasy peace. "Some people are trying to eat."  
  
Draco snickered. "Smoooth Blaise."  
  
"Do you think I care?" said Blaise with a cocked eyebrow.  
  
"No."  
  
"You're right. Now, back to Ginevra. I think you're right to worry about her. She needed to have a sandwich before but now she looks even skinnier. She's still hot but she's starting to look like some sort of overly attractive ghoul. Maybe we should tie her to a chair and force feed her steak, or something." said Blaise thoughtfully.

"The last time I saw her, in the bathroom, she said something about not being able to sleep." said Draco.  
  
"Yes, I know, I was there." said Blaise.  
  
"Right. Anyway, it's been a good near three weeks since then, if she still can't sleep it's no wonder she looks like death warmed over." said Draco. You could actually hear a little emotion in Draco's voice when he spoke of Ginny. Well, Blaise could, at any rate.

"You never sleep, Mr. Knowledge, and you look fine. It's not just lack of sleep. She's stressed about something. I heard Jackie Hariss telling Luna Lovegood that Ginny had screamed in her sleep one night two or three weeks ago. And this was, from what I gather, well after after Miss Bossy over there," Blaise gestured towards Hermione. "had given her a dreamless sleep potion." said Blaise. Draco silently thanked Merlin that Blaise was the best spy that ever lived.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "After she gave her dreamless sleep potion? Only one reason that she would scream in her sleep after being given that."

Blaise's strong point was not potions. "And what is that, Mr. Snape wanna-be?"

"It aggravates prophetic dreams." said Draco, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Shit." said Blaise succinctly. "Little Ginevra is having prophetic dreams? And obviously not nice ones, either."

Draco nodded his head. "And Mudblood managed to make them worse." He said, feeling anger rising very quickly within him.

"Oh, would you lay off with that ridiculous word? Honestly. So incredibly mature, Draco. She is one of Ginevra's only good friends, if you hadn't noticed, even if she is insufferable." Draco didn't reply, he just stared at Blaise. His jaw tightened in annoyance and other than that, he was deathly still. "Don't look at me like that, you know I'm right." said Blaise, almost scoldingly.

"Shut up Blaise."

"No. Now, are we, and by we I mean you, going to try and find out what these dreams are?"

"We are."

"Can we still tie her up and force feed her steak?" asked Blaise.

This brought a slight smile to Draco's face. "Yeah, of course, that'll be easy."

"We'll probably get bitten." said Blaise, chuckling.

Draco smiled a little more. "Wonder if her bite is worse than her bark."

"Bad joke, very, very bad joke." said Blaise, covering his ears in self-defense.

"Fuck you." said Draco, leaning forward and hitting him round the head.

"Ok." said Blaise, sitting up and smiling.

Draco rolled his eyes. "You really do make me feel sick sometimes."

"Oh please. At least people don't call me 'His lordship Draco, master of all that is satanic, prince of darkness.'" said Blaise.

"Who ever called me that? Apart from you obviously, just then."

"I don't know, but they should. It fits."

"Yes because thats exactly what I am..." said Draco sarcastically.

"No, but force feeding your girlfriend steak is pretty satanic. Especially if it's bad steak."

"Firstly, you suggested it. Secondly, she isn't my Girlfriend."

"Yet." said Blaise. "She might as well be, you pay more attention to her then Potter does."

"You tell her that then, cause she sure as hell wouldn't talk to me about Potter."

"That's why we have to tie her up and force feed her steak and then, I don't know, tickle torture her or something."

"You mean kidnap her?"

"Kidnap is such a strong word." said Blaise slyly.

"Oh? What would you call it?" asked Draco sarcastically.

"Borrow?" said Blaise.

"So your proposing, we 'borrow' Ginevra Weasley?" Draco looked at him, and thought.

"Ohhh, an even better word would be intervention. I propose we conduct an intervention for Ginny Weasley."

Draco nodded. "Alright."

"So, how do you want to go about this? In a way that she won't sic her brothers on us."

" I have no idea, but I think, keeping out of older Weasly's way would be most advisable." replied Draco, agreeing with Blaise

"Indeed."

Draco rested his chin on his hand in thought.

"So?" said Blaise.

"We need to get her into an unused classroom, when she's on patrol duty next down in the dungeons." replied Draco. "Granger never checks down there."

"But Granger also doesn't give Ginevra dungeon duty unless she's brassed off at her. She knows that Ginevra doesn't like the dungeons."

"Then we get Miss Know-it-all to give her duty down in the Dungeons." said Draco.

"Of course. How is the question..." Blaise thought for a minute. "We could pay somebody to ask for help with homework. For lsitening to Gryffindors I can tell that Ginevra is forever helping everybody else with their own homework and then getting Creevey to let her copy his for herself." said Blaise. "Or we could just get Ginevra into some sort of fight."

Draco nodded. "Either or both would land her in troble with Granger. We can try both if needs be, if one fails, the other is the back up."

"All we have to do is tell Pansy that Ginevra called her a pug-nosed bitch and we have a right little cat fight."

Pansy looked round, having heard her name said. "Who said my name?!" said Pansy shrilly.

Blaise and Draco didn't mind Pansy, she wasn't all that bad, they were almost friends. But she was really sensitive about her nose. She wouldn't believe anyone that it worked on her. She was actually cute. But Blaise had nothing against using someone's faults, so he did.

"Ah, well, Pans', we didn't want your feelings hurt. But, Draco heard the Weasley girl calling you a pug nosed bitch the other day. I think you accidentally bumped into her and she was ahving a bad day but-" Blaise didn't have to finish. Pansy was off and running.

"That was almost easy enough to make me guilty." said Blaise.

Draco watched, "I was about to say the same thing." he said.

"It's perfect, breakfast is almost over, the halls will be full when Pansy finds Ginevra."

Draco nodded. "Want to head out and follow?"

"Probably should or our little red head will be a teensy bit too dead to hold an intervention. You know how Pansy is."

" I do, unfortunately." he remebered once being bitten on the tongue by her, in his 'Dating Slytherin only' days when he'd been going out with her, and she'd got pissed of at him mid kiss.

"He he he. I still say you should have put a stud trhough that hole and at least used the pain to piss off your parents." said Blaise, snickering.

"Hmmm, her teeth are suprisingly pointy." said Draco, getting up.

"Let's go or 'Gin-gin' is going to be mush! Besides, who wants to miss a good cat fight?" said Blaise, rushing out of the great hall. He heard shouting and followed it. Draco swept out behind him, catching Harry's eye momentarily, and throwing the foulest of looks at him.

They reached a spot in a hall. Pansy was shotuing at Ginny who looked a little bewildered.

"How dare you call me a pug nosed bitch you little slut!?" yelled Pansy.

"Why would I call you that Parkinson, I don't know you, and I don't care what your nose looks like." said Ginny, frowning.

"What do you mean you didn't say that?"

"Exactly what I just said. I've never said you were pug nosed bitch." said Ginny reasonably.

"Blaise said Draco heard you say that." said Pansy, pausing midway through getting ready to yell again.

Ginny turned, spotting Blaise and Draco. "That's a lie." said Ginny. Pansy turned on them, hands on hips. Ginny was in the same posture.

"I didn't say that!" Draco said indignantly, he really hadn't.

"Blaise!" said Pansy indignantly.

"Trying to get me into a fight, Zabini?" said Ginevra. "I'm going to curse you from here to-"

"Miss Weasley, although I am certain you were going to tack soemthing on to that scentence that would have made it perfectly within the rules, for safety's sake, detention tomorrow night, my office." came the oily vocie of Snape. "And twenty points from Gryffindor as you are alte for Charms class, if I'm correct." added Snape. He glided off.

"Damn it, I have a Prefect meeting tomorrow, Hermione is going to KILL me!" said Ginny.

Blaise smirked. "Oops. And to think all I wanted was a cat fight." said Blaise inncoently.

"Oh, fuck you Blaise Zabini." said Ginny. she stormed off towards charms.

"Gladly!" Blaise called after her. By this point the crowd had split. Actually, they'd all dsiappeared when they saw Snape coming.

Draco shook his head, tutting slightly. "That gets old."

"You bastards." said Pansy, shaking her head. "If you're going to pull shit like that, don't get caught." said Pansy as she left. Draco shrugged, half the stuff Pansy ever said to him anymore, went in one ear, and came straight out the other. Draco then moved off to go to potions. He knew Snape'd let him off for being a little late. Blaise followed.

That night Ginny Weasley was furiously stamping through the dungeons, cursing Blaise and Draco in very colorful terms that msut have come from ahving six older brothers. "I cannot believe I have dungeon duty all week due to those... Slimy, prattish, unbelivably annoying GITS!" she sighed. "At least I won't get done until around one, so I don't have to sleep much." said Ginny, tiredly. "Argh, I'm talking to myself."

Draco and Blaise were just round the corner, watching a listening to her, hidden quite well.

"But I still can't believe those two stupid, idiotic, ridiculously foppishly good looking bastards." ranted Ginny as she rounded the corner. Draco was leaning against the wall, a slight smile on his face.

"What do you want?" snapped Ginny, glaring at him ferociously.

"Come now, Ginvera." said Draco pleasantly.

"I don't have time for this." said Ginny, walking past him.

"You have no choice." said Draco, catching onto the back of her robes, and pulling her quickly into the empty classroom opposite him.

"What the fuck are you doing, Malfoy?!"

"Want to talk to you." said Draco, bolting the door shut behind him, and lighting a few candles on the candleabra abover them with a swish of his wand.

"I'm not interested. Now let me out of here, or I'll scream." said Ginny.

"I know about your dreams, and why they got worse."

"What dreams?" said Ginny stubbornly.

"Oh come on, you're having Prophetic dreams, which were aggravated by Granger's Dreamless sleep potion she gave you."

"What? I wondered why the potion didn't work but..." she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Damn it."

Draco looked at her. "What are they about, because you almost freaked when a black owl flew in this morning."

"They're not important, it's stupid. Look, they can't be prophetic. Hermione is the smartest girl in school, and she said it must have jsut been badly made. If there was some weird specification about prophetic dreams for the potion, she'd have known."

Draco took a small bottle of the potion from his pocket. "She didn't read the label."

"Hermione reads everything."

Draco recited the little warning on the bottle.

Ginny looked at the floor. "I'm not going to talk about this with you." said Ginny quietly. "It's none of your damned business."

"Can't I care?" asked Draco stonlily.

"My own mother cares and I'm not talking to her."

"Then who are you going to talk to?"

"I don't need to talk to anybody. They're jsut dreams."

"Dreams that make you scream in your sleep and freak out at black owls."

"I did not freak out. And everybody has bad ngihtmares sometimes."

"Yes, but usually, dreamless sleep potion sorts it. With your's they got worse."

"Fine, so I'm having prophetic dreams. Go the fuck away, Malfoy. I'm fine." said Ginny firmly.

"What are they about?" replied Draco persistently.

"You shagging me senseless while black owls fly around. Positively terrifying, I assure you." said Ginny. Draco raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I know, scary, right? Now, can I leave?" snapped Ginny impatiently.

"I know that's not it."

"Duh, Malfoy." said Ginny. She got up and made a mad dash for the door. Draco stepped infront of it. He had only been a few feet from it.

Ginny let out a frustrated little scream. "I Fucking HATE you, Malfoy!"

"Who doesn't?" replied Draco calmly.

"Let me out." said Ginny in an even, calm voice.

"No." replied Draco in the same way.

"Why the fuck **_NOT_**!" exploded Ginny.

"If you're not going to tell anyone, why not tell me? And will you eat something, you haven't eaten for a few days." Draco said, calmer still.

"Because I'm not going to tell ANYBODY! And no, I won't eat, because I'm not hungry. I eat when I'm hungry, and I talk when I feel like it!"

"Why aren't you hungry?"

"Well, Malfoy, it's this thing, you know, where you don't feel like eating. Fascinating, really."

He looked at her, shaking his head slightly. "If I were stupid, then I would've needed that explanation."

"Well, Malfoy, to be perfectly blunt, if you think I am going to discuss scary prophetic dreams with the heir to the throne of darkness, mainly, yourself, you have, indeed, got _quite_ a few screws loose."

Malfoy just looked at her. "And you called me a friend." he said slightly bitterly.

"Malfoy, have you checked your last name lately? You are not my friend. I'm a Weasley, you're a Malfoy, and we are not friends." she made another start for the door. He didn't budge from infront of it. Ginny grabbed her wand. "Malfoy, I tolerate on the point of liking you, but if you do not get out from in front of this door, I am going to have to hex you stupid."

She had managed to hurt him, although he refused to show it. Malfoy looked at her. "I worry-" he said.

Ginny shot Draco an annoyed look, then opened her mouth, beginning a rant. A rant that cut off his scentence. "Join the fucking club. I worry I'm ugly, I worry that there won't be pudding at dinner, I worry that my brother will one day drown in his own drool while staring at his girlfriend..." she would have gone on but that last got a snort of laughter from Draco which jerked her out of her diatribe. "Lots of worries. Can we move on?" she finished.

"About you." finished Draco, with a raised eyebrow.

Ginny looked up at him. "Mine were interesting." she said.

"You're interesting." replied Draco.

"Sometimes." conceded Ginny.

"Well, to me you are, always." Draco looked down at her, not down his nose mind you, just at her.

"Thank you." said Ginny finally, after looking at him for a moment.

Draco ran a hand awkwardly through his hair. "My pleasure."

Ginny's mouth quirked into a half smile. "Do you even know what I'm thanking you for?"

"I thought I did, but obviously, you are about to tell me otherwise." said Draco, crossing his arms across his chest, his steely eyes cast onto her face.

"For worrying. For having time to worry about me." said Ginny matter of factly.

"I would make time if I had none." Draco was, in a kind of backwards way, telling Ginny he really liked her.

"Draco... when I told you we weren't friends... Well, I meant it. We aren't. But, we're not enemies. And we're not.. l-lovers... I'm not sure what we are." apparently that subject was suddenly too delicate, because she switched back to the dream. "I'd tell you, Mal- Draco, I really would, I, I want to, but- I just can't." said Ginny softly. She looked down at the floor, wishing her hair was loose instead of tightly pulled back into a braid, so that it would fall, like the red velvet curtain at the end of a play, and hide her.

Draco listened to every word she spoke, and then said, "Why can't you tell me?" his voice had dropped and he had made it as gentle as he could.

"I just can't, Draco....." said Ginny softly, almost inaudibly.

Draco nodded slightly. "Alright."

A curse could be heard coming from the closet in the back of the room. Ginny raised a questioning eyebrow at Draco. He scowled slightly, looking to the back of the room.

The closet door opened and Blaise stepped out. "She says your name a couple times and suddenly you're a sucker. Tsk tsk tsk." said Blaise to draco. Then he turned to Ginny. "Ginevra, do you realize that if you continue to be stubborn and not tell anybody about the dreams, not only will you probably go half insane, but we won't be able to prevent whatever comes to pass in your dream?" said Blaise in an overly patient voice, as one would explain to an exceptionally petulant four year old why they had to eat their vegetables.

Ginny stiffened. "They. Can't. Be. Prophetic." she said firmly.

"Why can't they?" Draco asked, the annoyance in his voice quite apparent and directed at Blaise.

"They just can't. They can't be. It would be..." Ginny shut her mouth firmly, and you could almost see a zipper being pulled shut between her lips.

"Would be what?" said Draco, trying to coax it out of her. "What is so terrible that they can't be true?"

"I can't tell you." said Ginny, sounding like she wanted to cry, or scream. Something.

"Can you tell me?" said Blaise.

"I could, but you'd tell Draco." said Ginny finally, after a long pause.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I'm in them?" he asked, sounding a little uneasy.

"Nobody said that." said Ginny too quickly.

"Why'd it be bad if he told me then?"

"Because I don't want you to know." said Ginny futilely.

"And you'd rather Blaise knew?"

"Fine yes, you're right, you're in them." said Ginny finally. She knew she should have yes, I'd rather Blaise knew than you. But she knew, also, somehow, that it would have hurt Draco. And she didn't want to hurt him.

Draco shifted uneasily. "Honestly, if you don't explain them, nothing will be done about them when they come to pass, because people won't now how to stop it."

"I'll think about it, Draco. I swear I'll think about telling somebody. Please, I need to go." said Ginny.

"You can't just think about it, you need to tell someone, and soon, you never know when all this is going to kick off."

"Yes I do." said Ginny almost silently. "I'll tell. I'll tell tomorrow. Just let me go, please." she added in a rush. Her pleading was wearing at him, and his hand found the bolt on the door and clicked it open. She was under his arm, out the door and up the corridor in a flash.

"She's not going to tell." said Blaise flatly.

"Not going to breathe a word of it." said Draco, a little deafted.

"But hey, mate, she called you Draco. Several times in fact."

"She did." replied Draco, looking up, gathering himself again.

Ginny lay in her bed, sleeping peacefully, her brow unwrinkled. Then her body went stiff, truned onto it's back.  
  
_Black owls. Black owls, circling over the huge table in the Great Hall. Each clutched a letter in it's talons, or in it's beak. Every letter had a green seal on it. A green snake seal.  
  
The letters dropped to many different people, but only two were seen clearly. One with black hair, and green eyes, a grim expression on his face.  
  
The other with silver blonde hair and steely eyes. When the letter dropped into his hand his face looked determined, unsurprised._

_The scene went black, there was nothing. Then the black slowly started to ade into shades of gray. Gray faded until it was blinding white. Everything was blinding white. But in the middle of all this whiteness was a pool of red. And in the middle of the pool lay two bodies, side by side. One with silver hair. The other with black.  
  
Even evil, high pitched laugh shirlled through the air, there was a flash of green light and suddenly she was whirling from scene to scene too quickly to catch more than glances. It was like the glimpses caught of passed-by hearths while using floo.  
  
A huge armchair, a snake, the Dark Mark, a circle of black figures around a bed draped in green, a lightning shaped scar... and a baby.  
  
_Ginny woke up, her breathing labored, sweat sparkling on her forehead. Draco was right. She had to tell Dumbledore.


	6. Betray and repay

The next morning Ginny woke up. Well, she couldn't wake up, per se, as she hadn't slept more than five minteus put together after she woke form the dream.

She had made up her mind. She was going to tell Dumbledore. So, she got up, washed her face, pretended she didn't look like a ghost and headed to the Headmaster's office. She muttered the password and went up. She realized she could hear voices. Familiar voices.

All she could hear were fragments.

"You see professor,"

"Can't say yes,"

"Wanted to let you know,"

But Ginny knew who the voices belonged to. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and her brother, Ron Weasley. Dumbledore's replies weren't heard. She heard the door opening and, not wanting Harry, hermione and Ron to know she was here, she ducked behind a cabinet. A few minutes later, they were gone.

"You can come out now, Miss Weasley." said Dumbledore, sounding slightly amused.

"Thank you Professor." Ginny crept out from behind the cabinet. Dumbledore's office was alive, like always. The shelves were lined with their little whirring instruments, and the portraits of head masters and msitresses were still sleeping.

"So, what can I do for you?" He asked pleasantly, his face in that smile which at times, could be the most reassuring thing in the world.

"I need to tell you soemthing sir..."

Dumbledore ushered Ginny into his inner office. "Take a seat then." he said, leaning onto his desk. "What do you wish to tell me?"

"Well sir, I'd been having horrible dreams... And, well, Hermione gave me a dreamless sleep draught, but... it only made the dreams worse, sir."

He scowled slightly. "Do you mean to tell me that they are Prophetic, Miss Weasley?"

"That's what I'm told it means if dreamless sleep potion doesn't help, sir."

"That is what they are." He said, grimly. "Would you like to explain them to me?"

Ginny went on to describe what had happened in her dream last night. "That's usually what happens. The ending, with the flashes of things, that was new."

Dumbledore thought for a few moments. "Miss Weasley, the flashes, of the events, are that of the past. What you are seeing, is that of the possible future." he said. "How long have you been having them?"

"A month and a half, almost, sir."

"If they have been continuing on this long, I think it advisable for you to stay within the school this Christmas."

"Alright, sir. What will you tell my parents, and Harry, and Ron, and Hermione?'

"To your Parents, I will explain what has happened, leaving out the dream, to Harry, Ron and Hermione, they will not need to know until I feel it nessesary." He replied

"They'll want to know why I'm staying though, sir."

"Indeed they will." he thought. "You have been chosen for prefect duty over the Christmas break, along with a few other who will be staying here."

She nodded. "There's one more thing sir. I saw, day before yesterday, that Harry got his letter. The one I saw in the dream... Did he come to talk to you about that?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Mr Potter did come to see me about it, yes."

"Sir... may I ask what the letters are about and who they are from?"

"You may. Miss Weasley, they are letters from Voldemort and deatheaters. They are trying to recruit Mr Potter.."

Ginny bit her lip. "I thought they wanted to kill Harry, not recruit him." she said softly. The prophecy, though ahrdly common knowledge, was knwon to Ginny.

"That's what confused me at first." Ginny waited. "But there are many reasons that they may want to recruit Harry. He is a powerful wizard, afterall."

Ginny nodded. "Is it really safe for him to go home? If they're recruiting him and he says no..."

"I have advised him stay at school aswell."

"He said no.. Oh... and because he's seventeen, legal age... You can't stop him."

"Indeed." Dumbledore sighed.

"Thank you Professor. I'll tell you if the dreams change." said Ginny.

"Alright Miss Weasley, thank you." Ginny left, after having Dumbledore give her a pass that said she could skip her classes for that day. He knew he shouldn't, but she was exhausted.

Ginny went to the library, enjoying the quiet and the peace, reading silently in a window seat, curled in on herself. Students came and went, throughout the day.

Finally, it was time for classes to let out and Ginny swiftly left the library, not wanting the noise. She saw a few people she knew well, including Harry, but avoided them. She didn't want to answer questions about why she hadn't been in class. She knew Professor Dumbledore had owled copies of her pass to the other teachers, so she wouldn't be in trouble with them. For everyone else, she would just tell them she'd had a bad headache and had gone to Madame Pomfrey, who had gotten a pass for her from Dumbldore. But she simply didn't want to explain anything.

Not knowing where she was going, she ended up in the owlery. Realizing that she'd been carrying her bag all day, even though she hadn't needed it, gave her an idea. She scribbled out a quick note on a torn peice of parchment, tied it to the leg of a school owl and sent it off.

The school soon emptied out of classes, and congregated int he dinner hall. Draco Malfoy, who had been worrying all day, but not showing it at all, was in his usual place with Blaise.

"Draco, maybe nobody else can tell you're worried, but you kept twitching your knee, and it's drving me fucking crazy." said Blaise quietly as he grabbed some food.

Draco glared at him. "Oh dear." he said sarcastically.

The school owl which Ginny had put the note on came soaring through the upper windows and landed neatly infront of Draco and held out it's leg. Everyone turned and looked, people almost never got owl post in the great hall except at breakfast. Draco looked at it curiously, and carefully took the note off. The owl flew upwards and disappeared. He unfurled the rolled up not, and read the few words that were scratched onto the parchement.

Blaise waited, drumming his figners on the table less than patiently. "Well?"

"She told." Draco said, looking like a ton had just been lifted up off of his shoulders.

Blaise blinked, looking surprised. "She's not as stupid as she looks, then."

"She doesn't look stupid." Draco said, annoyedly.

"She looks like a doe, doe are stupid." Now Blaise was just pissing Draco off on purpose.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

"Make me." said Blaise smugly, sipping his pumpkin juice.

Draco pulled out his wand. "Silencio." Pansy, who was watching, although she had only heard peices of the conversation, laughed.

Blaise shot a pleading look don the table at Daphne Greengrass, who laughed. "I rather like you this way, Blaise, maybe we should get a gag." she said, eyes sparkling.

Blaise waggled his eyebrows and mouthed 'kinky'. Draco shook his head, and began eating, not intending on taking the charm off until after dinner.

Later that night Draco and Blaise were down in the dungeons when they heard shouting.

"Ron, god damn it, you are going to wake upa ll the Slytherins! This is stupid. I'ms taying back for Christmas. You KNOW why, Dumbledore asked me to patrol over Christmas."

"Gin, mum's going to be so disappointed, and sicne why do you give a fuck if the Slytherins wake up, Gin?!"

"Since now! Ron, Mum's proud of her prefect youngest daughter, she'll be ok with it!"

Draco scowled slightly, and turned round a corner to see Ron and Ginny talking incredibly loudly.

"Ginny, I don't believe you! Are you cheating on Harry, is that why you're staying?"

Ginny gasped and glared at Ron. "You fucking bastard! I don't cheat!"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Nice to know you have faith in your sister." Draco said wryly.

"Malfoy, fuck off." hissed Ron.

"No, YOU fuck off, Ron!" said Ginny fiercely. Ron gaped at her.

"Are you siding with this prick over me, Gin-gin?"

"First of all, don't CALL me that. Second of all, no, I'm telling you to get out of here before I curse you into jello!" screamed Ginny, red in the face.

Ron turned and left quickly, disappearing around a corner.

Draco watched, his eyes following Ron and boring holes into his back. "Accusing you of cheating." he shook his head in slight disgust.

"I've never cheated on Harry." Ginny said with a quiet firmness. it had obviously bothered her a lot though.

"I know." said Draco, not letting the annoyance, that he hadn't managed to win her over yet, come through.

"Much to your disappointment." added Ginny blandly. Draco nodded, not hiding it.

Ginny sighed. "I don't cheat, though. It's not right. Not that I don't do things that aren't right. Like scream. Or lie. Or steal all Percy's underwear and throw it on the pond at home so all my other brotehrs can see they have duckies on them." Draco snickered. "Not that it was me who did that. And I didn't try and use my mum's best bra as flower pots either."

Draco laughed. "No, you'd _never _do that." he stressed the never sarcastically.

"Nope, never." said Ginny, glad he'd let the subject of her cheating on Harry drop. Draco looked around, wondering where the hell Blaise had got to.

Blaise stepped out from behind a pillar. "Seemed like a private moment."

"So you hid behind a pillar and watched?" asked Ginny wryly.

"But of course."

"He's always doing that." said Draco, his stare turning to Blaise.

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Was he in there the day you trapped me in the bathtub?"

Draco hesitated. "No." he finally said. Ginny glared at him.

"Yes, I was." said Blaise.

"What!?!" said Ginny.

"I didn't look and Draco had no idea."

Ginny looked a bit placated, but then she turned on Draco. "Why'd you lie?"

"Because I thought you'd have castrated me."

"Not if you told me you didn't know." said Ginny. "Have you lied to me before?"

"No." replied Draco.

Blaise just had to add. "How do you trust what he says now? He lied to you once, he could lie to you agian!"

"Blaise, Shut the fuck up."

"Yeah, shut it, Blaise. Draco, I'm serious. I've never lied to you. I'm omitted certain truths, yeah, but I haven't lied. Have you ever lied to me?" All of a sudden it was desperately important for her to know.

"No, never." replied Draco, meaning it.

"Lie, he jsut lied to you a mintue ago, about me." said Blaise triumphantly.

"We all know what I meant Blaise, now SHUT IT!" said Ginny.

"All right, all right." said Blaise, laughing. "I wouldn't be quite so obnoxious, but Daphne's been busy lately."

Draco rolled his eyes. "You can't be sexually frustrated like the rest of us can you?"

"Me? No. Sexual frustration and me. No. Definitely bad."

"I agree definately." Draco said coldly.

"Yeah, well, I'm suppsoed to be actually patrolling, Draco." said Ginny with a slight smile.

"Me too." He replied, the edge of his mouth curling into a slight but attractive smile.

"Wander around together, then?"

"Sure." replied Draco.

"Well, I know a dismissal when I hear one. I'm going to go tie Daphne to her bed." said Blaise, disappearing. Ginny giggled.

"Don't forget your gag!" He called back.

"Lucky Daphne." said Ginny, looking sideways at draco, wondering if he'd get jealous.

"Lucky?" her instincts were right on the button, he automatically thought she liked Blaise.

"Because he's popular. All the girls are half in love with Blaise. Sorry, I shouldn't have done that. Like I said, I do lots of things that aren't right, like messing with people without letting them know I'm messing."

"That's generally how you do it." Draco pointed out, refereing to the not telling them part.

"Not when it's friendly teasing."

"I've never friendly teased like that." said Draco, trying to think back to if he had or not

"Well, it's like the way Blaise fucks with you. Most of the time, you know he's fucking with you." It felt funny to explain something simple like that.

"Ah." said Draco, understanding. They continued walking on.

The next day was the twenty first of December. Everyone who was going home for Christmas went, early that morning. Ginny was the only Gryffindor who stayed. The rising threat of Voldemort made people want to be clsoe to their families while it was still relatively safe to travel.

Ginny, who was bored, was wandering around in the corridor near the library. She was mentally debating whether to read in the library or go take a bath. Or go somewhere else entirely. Draco had stayed as well. His father wasn't at home much anymore, and his mother was very fond of disappearing for long lengths of time.

Besides them there were only four other students, Blaise and Daphne in Slytherin with Draco, Blaise because his parents were away on business, Daphne because she detested her parents. Luna Lovegood had stayed, wanting to keep Ginny company 'only when you feel like it' Luna, who had become far less kooky, though still very ethreal and dreamy, had told her. The only other person staying was Eloise Midgen in Hufflepuff. She had lost her parents last year and her aunt, with whom she stayed, preferred her to stay the holidays at school.

Draco was wandering aimlessly about the castle, he had no plan to go anywhere, he was just wandering. Ginny was looking at the floor, not where she was going, and ran into him, rahter hard.

He was knocked back into the wall, hitting with a thud.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." said Ginny. Then she looked up. "Oh, Draco. Hi. I'm sorry I bumped you."

"Don't worry." replied Draco curtly, brushing himself off slightl, the wall was dusty.

"Mad at me?" asked Ginny.

"No, why would I be?" replied Draco.

"I don't know." said Ginny.

Draco shrugged. "I see you stayed here for the holidays then."

"Yeah. Only Gryffindor that stayed back."

He raised an eyebrow, "Would've expected your brother to be here."

"No. He went home, Harry and Hermione did too."

Draco nodded. "There's just 6 of us then. Students I mean." Ginny nodded.

"I should get back to the common room, I want to change for dinner."

"See you later." He said, beginning to head off again towards where ever his feet were taking him.

"Bye Draco." said Ginny. She went back to the common room. The strangest sight met her eyes. Eloise Midgen was on the couch... and she was kissing Harry Potter. "Oh my god! Harry, what are you doing here?! How COULD you!?!" without another word, Ginny turned and fled. Draco had got to the library, and was poking around in the potions section. He heard the sound of pounding footsteps and somebody sobbing. He looked round for who it was, perhaps to rub a little more salt in their wound. All he saw was a flash of bright red hair.

"Ginevra?" said Draco, his low voice questioning the blur. She was already well past the door, lost from sight. He walked quickly after the blur, working out that it probably was Ginny.

She had slid down the wall at the point where the corridor turned and was sitting, just visible, slumped over, sobbing. Draco walked over to her and crouched infront of her. "Ginvera?" he said, looking at her.

"Draco?" said Ginny, looking up, sniffling.

"What's wrong?" asked Draco, a slight scowl on his face.

"H-harry. He, he cheated on me. With... with- With Eloise Midgen!" said Ginny, sobbing again.

Draco looked at her, his face contorting strangely into a rather confused and shocked look. "How dare he!"

"I walked into the common room and he was, they were... Kissing." she buried her face in the front of his robes and sobbed.

"And your Brother accused you of cheating on him." replied Draco, threading his arms around her. Ginny snuggled closer to him, feeling comforted.

"You smell good." murmured Ginny. Her mind was clouded over in a haze of tears and feeling betrayed and upset. So when she turned her face up and started kissing Draco, you really couldn't blame her.  
  
_Harry smiled at Eloise. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!"  
  
"It's your doing, I would never have gotten full marks on that test without your help." said Eloise, smiling. She leaned in and wrapped her arms around Harry, kissing him on the cheek._

_Harry watched Ginny walk in, see them, and misconstrue what she saw.  
  
"I'm sorry, Eloise. I need to go find her and explain. Congratulations again."  
  
"Thank you. Bye Harry!" said Eloise, with a slight sigh._


	7. If you don't want another brother

Draco kissed her right back. Harry had cheated on her, she now had every right to kiss him. His consience was clear. Ginny was kissing him as though her life depended on it. If Ron had turned up at that moment, he would have hit Malfoy. Not to mention the roof. But thankfully he was on the train back to London.

Ginny's little hands were fisted into Draco's black robes, pulling him tight against her. He was kneeling between her knees as she sat, back against the wall, sitting on her heels. Her braid had come undone and red hair was spilling over her face. Draco's hands wandered over her back, through her hair. They carressed her neck and cradled her face.

This was what Harry Potter walked up on. "Ginny?" he asked disbelievingly. Draco pulled slowly away from her, not looking round at Harry, not wanting to look at him.

"What are you doing!?!" Harry asked, eyes wide.

"You cheated on me. You cheated on me with Eloise Midgen." said Ginny, looking up at him. The scorn in her voice when she said Eloise's name was evident. Draco watched Ginny, her hands still bunched in his robes.

"That's what I came to tell you. I didn't. We were hugging. From your angle it looked like kissing, Ginny, but it wasn't. She kissed my cheek. And if you had bothered to find that out instead of running off to _MALFOY_..." shouted Harry. He was breathing hard, as though he was running a marathon.

As he said his name Draco turned to look at Harry. "What would be wrong with her coming to me?" he asked, throwing each word at him with spite.

"This isn't yor shouting match, Malfoy." said Harry coldly. "Ginny, goddamn it, you wonder why you get left behind! Only a rash little kid would do something as stupid as this!" said Harry. He would never have said something like that, but he was hurt that Ginny would assume something like that, that she wouldn't trust him, or at least give him a chance. That made Draco's blood begin to boil. Why couldn't she come to him, why was it stupid? His eyes narrowed dangerously on Harry.

"I'm sorry." Ginny choked out. "I... I thought you were cheating on me. You have no idea how it looked, Harry. I thought you were gone, you had told me you were gone, and then there you were, in the common room, seemingly kissing Eloise and..."

"It doesn't matter Ginny. I don't give a shit who you run to although, heh, my biggest rival at Hogwarts, insteresting choice, don't you think? But you shouldn't have run at all. There's supposed to be trust in a relationshi-"

"Don't you DARE give that bullshit. I am no more guilty of not trusting than you. Who the hell is sneaking around with a letter, and some secret project?" said Ginny. Harry opened his mouth. "Don't bother." snapped Ginny.

"Fine. Gin, I can't trust you, and you obviously can't trust me. This is over."

Draco just sat there listening, he had no input in this, but the letter part, that intrigued him slightly.

"Fine." said Ginny. Harry turned and left. Draco turned back to Ginny, his blond white hair falling into his face.

"What's my family going to say?" moaned Ginny, burying her face in her hands.

"They'd say: I don't believe golden boy would ever do this to my daughter." He replied, resting a hand on her arms gently.

"You don't get it, Harry's like another son to my parents... If he tells them I cheated on him, even if it was because I thought he was cheating on me... Specifically cheating with a Malfoy. Hell, the whole family will pitch in and get me a nice padded cell at Saint Mungo's." she shuddered.

Draco pushed a lock of hair from her face and tucked it gently behind her ear. "If he goes running to your parents about you, that just confirms that he really needs to work out how to sort his own head out." he said.

Ginny sniffled. "Sorry I kissed you." she said.

"Don't be."

"Ron's going to kill me."

"He's going to try." said Draco, slightly protectivly.

"Don't be stupid, Ron's bigger than you." said Ginny. "And anyway, the last thing I need is one more over-protective brother." she said reprovingly. "I seem to gain them rather a lot." she was, indeed, being deliberately stupid. Yeah, Draco wanted to be her brother. That was it. One of Ginny's faults was that she did, indeed, tend to use being little and cute to play dumb and get away with things.

Draco shrugged, "If you don't want another brother, how about a boyfriend?" he asked.

Ginny blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "How about a boyfriend?" he said slowly.

"Draco... That would never work."

"Why wouldn't it?" asked Draco, slightly annoyed that she'd willingly kiss him like that, then not go out with him.

"Draco, snogging is one thing but... A relationship..." He watched, waiting for what possible reason she could give, other than that he was a Malfoy.

"We're opposites. I'm cute, you're sexy, I'm a red head, you're blonde, I'm sweet, you're mean." her mouth twitched at that last as she knew perfectly well that she sometimes had a tongue like a can of mace.

"Opposites attract." Draco simply replied.

"Mmmhmm. But do they stay together?"

"You don't know until it's tried."

"We'd spend our lives sneaking around."

"Don't we do that anyway?"

"Are you going to give up on this?" asked Ginny. Draco shook his head.

"Why do you like me?" Ginny asked.

"You've always fascinated me. You're probably the only Weasley who's ever tried to talk to me without insulting me." said Draco

"Then why were you always mean?"

"It's ingrained, I had no idea what do around you." said Draco, matter of factly.

"You know, you're not a nice guy." said Ginny, matter of factly.

"I've never been told otherwise." said Draco

"Well... I suppose we can try it..." said Ginny slowly. "After all, dating nice guys hasn't exactly worked for me."

"So, you will go out with me?" said Draco quietly, watching her face, waiting for a direct reply.

"Yes." said Ginny, slowly, so that it sounded more like y-e-s... Draco's face curled into a smile.

"Finally!" came Blaise's voice. He stepped out of the library, holding the hand of a very tall, very blonde, very curvy someone. Daphne Greengrass.

"Would you stop doing that?" Ginny said irritably to Blaise.

Draco looked around at him. "Merlin, are you stalking me?" he said.

"No, actually, there's a dark alcove in the library and I think books are sexy." said Daphne, smirking. Ginny giggled. Draco raised an eyebrow at her, looking slightly disturbed. She was turned on by books? Daphne looked at Ginny and they both burst out laughing.

Blaise cocked his head to one side. "I'm not sure what's funny." he said to Draco.

"I have no idea either." replied Draco.

"Your faces." said Ginny. "She was joking."

"Indeed." put in Daphne.

Draco shook it off. "Confusing, to say the least."

"We're girls." said Ginny, as though that explained everything.

"It's our job." said Daphne.

"I can think of better jobs for you." said Blaise with a little smirk. Daphne rolled her eyes and Ginny glared at him. Draco linked his hand with Ginny's, looking up at Blaise.

"Ahhh, they're ganging up on me." said Blaise, throwing his hands over his face dramatically.

"We shouldn't sit in the middle of the hall.." said Ginny.

"Dungeons?" asked Daphne. Draco, got up gracefully.

Ginny stood up, stumbling a little. "It's not fair that my boyfriend is more graceful than me." muttered Ginny.

Draco steadied her, taking her hand again. "Dungeons." confirmed Draco.

They wandered down to the dungeons, Ginny feeling light headed. Once they got down there, Daphne looked at Draco. "We could go to the common room." she said. It would be ok because they were the only three Slytehrins left.

Draco nodded. "Alright." He said, muttering the password as they got to the door. It swung open and Ginny stepped through, after Draco. They were followed by Blaise and Daphne.

The common room was unusually quiet, owing to the fact that nobody was there. "Very green and silver. And grey." said Ginny, referring to the color scheme and the abundant stone everywhere.

"I'm sure your common room is very red, and gold, and well, grey." thought Draco, the fire leaping into life as green flames rose from the wood.

"Red and gold, yes, grey, no. The brick there is kind of yellow. And it sure as hell isn't this cold up there."

"It's cold here?"

"Yes, actually." said Ginny, looking slightly amused. Blaise and Daphne had disappeared. Ginny sat down in a big green arm chair, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around herself. Her hair was falling everywhere, she really needed a haircut, or at least so she thought. She wasn't used to having her hair so long. Her face was pale and she looked pensive, staring into the fire. The fact that the fire was green cast an eerie sort of glow over her. It made her hair look almost yellow.

"Usually the rest of the school is unbearably hot." replied Draco thoughfully.

"Ice block." taunted Ginny amiably. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Seriously." said Ginny. He smiled slightly. "Whaaaat?" whined Ginny.

"Thinking." replied Draco, looking at her.

"About what?" asked Ginny, wondering if he'd even tell her.

"You." replied Draco, placing the tips of his fingers together. Ginny blinked. He smiled a little wider.

"What are you thinking about me, because right now you're kind of looking like I'm something to eat."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I'm thinking about how hot you are." he said, cocking his head slightly confusedly to one side.

"I am not. Cute, maybe... Hot is your job. I'm not hot. Besides which, I'm currently green."

"So am I." said Draco, he was infact a very odd shade of green, the white of his hair relfecting well. "You are incredibly hot, and cute."

"Right. Because I'm at my best when I resemble sickly seaweed."

"You do not resemble seaweed!" Ginny just rolled her eyes.

"If you're seaweed, I'm a green... ferret?" Draco couldn't think of anything else. Ginny started giggling uncontrollably. He laughed slightly.

"I still say I'm not hot." said Ginny. "I have freckles, for one thing."

"I like them." said Draco, having pallid flesh got a bit boring. Besides, Ginny's freckles were very light and only on her nose.

"And nonexistent boobs."

"Which I found, may I remind you." said Draco with a cheeky curl to his lip

"Oh shut it, you." said Ginny. "Oh, and I'm too short."

"Not you're not." said Draco. He had a slight feeling of Deja-vu.

"Am too. Come on, you have to think there's something wrong with me. Honestly."

"Probably do, I just haven't found it yet."

"You don't think I'm too skinny?" asked Ginny, who had shrunk considerably over the past month, due to the dreams.

"Could be a little more filled out, yeah. Why have you got so thin lately?" asked Draco.

"I haven't felt like eating." said Ginny reluctantly.

"Why not?" asked Draco, scowling slightly. Ginny shrugged.

"Fair enough." Ginny was surprised he was letting it go.

"Those dreams." said Draco. "Thats what made you stop eating."

"I thought you were dropping it." said Ginny flatly.

"Thought wrong." said Draco, mocking her tone.

"Look, pools of blood are not exactly conducive to eating. Oops." said Ginny. Draco raised an eyebrow. "I didn't say that, okay? Okay." Draco looked curiously at her. Ginny avoided his gaze.

"What else are in the dreams?" asked Draco.

"I am not about to tell you, Draco, as you well know." said Ginny impatiently.

He rolled his eyes. "I still don't understand why.."

"Because you are in them. You know that. and I am not going to tell you, and that is all."

"Fine." said Draco shortly, curiosity kept getting the better of him.

Ginny got up out of her chair and cross the room over to him. "I feel neglected." she said, pouting. Alright, it was a silly method of distraction, but it worked.

" Aww." said Draco, threading his arms around her. Ginny leaned into him, her head resting on his chest. She weighed almost nothing leaning against him. Even when she was eating, she normally didn't weigh more than ninety five pounds, which was actually quite normal for only five feet tall. He kissed her on the head gently.

"You weigh nothing." whispered Draco. His whisper wasn't a kind one, he didn't know how to be like that around anyone.

"Well I'm only five feet tall you know."

"Still, you're too light." replied Draco in that 'I know everything' tone.

"I've lost weight, I know." Draco leant his head on hers. It was a long way to lean. He wasn't overly fussed how far it was... The green fire flickered lazily in the hearth, there were no other noises in the room apart from the sound of their breathing.

"Why the hell is the fire down here green?" she asked suddenly.

Draco shrugged slightly. "Always has been." replied Draco lazily. "I think it was to go with the rest of the green in this room." Ginny rolled her eyes. Draco played with a lock of her hair. "What was that for?" he asked slightly defensively.

"Slytherins are so weird." said Ginny.

"Gryffindors think too much of themselves." replied Draco.

"You have the nerve to say Gryffindors are arrogant? Mister family and Slytherin pride."

Draco looked at her dead pan. "And?"

"Oh for Merlin's sake." said Ginny, laughing and rolling her eyes. She went over to the couch and plopped down. Draco raised an eyebrow, walked over, going and gracefully placing himself on the couch next to her.

"I'm tiny, why couldn't I be graceful?" asked Ginny, mouth twitching.

"Much practice." said Draco, sliding an arm on the top of the couch.

"All my brothers are like elephants, so I didn't exactly have great role models."

"Well, now you have the best to learn from." said Draco with a smile.

"You're so incredibly full of yourself." said Ginny lightly, reaching over and running her figners through his hair.

"I know." said Draco, looking at her, thinking to himself.

"What?" said Ginny.

"Wondered what would happen if I changed a few things."

"Change what?" asked Ginny. Draco muttered a few words, and her hair straightened itself instantly. Ginny looked at her hair. All the waves were gone. "My hair, for starters?" she asked. He muttered a few more words, and her robes got strangly longer, heavier and blacker. "Hey, I like my robes!"

"Just seeing something." said Draco. He whispered a final incantation and she felt strangely light.

Ginny blinked. "Is my butt touching the couch?"

"It is. Get up and try and walk." said Draco impatiently. He had a grace charm on her. Ginny stood up in one smooth motion. Draco smiled. He then got up in exactly the same way, no charm effecting him though. Ginny started walking. Her whole body swayed and it was a smooth, beautiful motion. The way her robes swept the floor, combined with the way she was walking made her look as though she was floating. He folded his arms, congratulating himself on a job well done.

She turned and looked at him. "How do you do this charm? The one that's making me walk like Daphne does, I mean."

"Pio Leviosa." said Draco, tucking his wand away.

Ginny smiled. "Thanks." she said.

"Anytime." said Draco, Ginny looked like a Slytherin, completely and utterly. She turned the smile up a notch, making it into her best seductive smile. He raised an eyebrow, floating over to her.

"Hi." said Ginny, still smiling.

"Hey." said Draco, threading an arm around her. Ginny stood on tiptoe and placed her hands on his shoulders. She pushed up and wrapped her legs around Draco's waist so she could reach his lips. She leaned in and kissed him. "It's hard to do that in a skirt and a robe." she informed him.

"I would imagine." replied Draco with a slight smile, before he held her up, kissing her back.

Blaise came out of the girl's dorm room. Depsite the activites he had almost certainly been engaged in her was dressed, looked perfect. Every hair was in place and his robes were perfectly draped. "Cheating on her already?" he asked wryly. Then he realized that there were no other redheads at Hogwarts over Christmas break. "Ginny?" he asked disbelivingly.

Draco pulled back from their kiss. "Welcome back." he said, slightly breathlessly. Ginny turned her head.

"What happened to you?" asked Blaise.

"Draco. And thanks, makes me feel lovely about how I looked with wavy hair and short, faded robes."

"Want me to take the charms off?"

"No Draco. I was being sarcastic." said Ginny. She slid down him. He lowered her gently to the floor.

Daphne came out into the common room, wrapped in a sheet. Ginny had decided that she liked Daphne, but it made her feel like a frump whenever she came into the room.

She would always look better just wrapped in a sheet, no make-up, lips kiss-swollen and hair rumpled then Ginny ever would, even in an evening gown and full makeup. Ginny looked over at Draco, wondering how he'd react to Daphne, standing in the middle of the room, wrapped in a sheet. He glanced at her, before looking back at Ginny. Blaise seemed to be more focused on Daphne. Draco, funnily enough, had never ever got with Daphne. Out of everyone he had been out with, she wasn't one of them.

"Blaise, are you coming back or should I get dressed?" asked Daphne, after smiling at Ginny.

"Be there in a minute, Daph." said Blaise.

"Ok." said Daphne. "Oh, and Ginny, cute hair, but I think it looks better wavy."

"Thanks." said Ginny. Daphne disappears.

Draco watched her leave, before turning his attention to Blaise. "You're to good at making it look like nothing has happnened to you."

Blaise grinned. "Sheets look better on her."

"And to you, even better off." replied Draco. Ginny giggled.

"Oops, I'm being summoned." Blaise left.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Remind me to not go in there anytime soon."

"Mmhmm." said Ginny. Draco leaned down and kissed her again. Ginny backed up until she bumped the couch arm and let herself fall over it, Draco on top of her. He ran a hand through her hair, it eventually fell to the side of her. Ginny ran her hands over Draco's back. He parted his lips, a hand running down her side. Ginny kissed him back. Ginny wasn't a bad kisser, in Draco's opinion.

They heard a thumping sound coming from the dorms. "Oh ewwww!" said Ginny. "Use a silencing charm, please!" she shouted.

Draco looked slightly disturbed. "Rabbits, I swear." Uproarious laughter rang out of the dorms. Then they just heard silence.

"Thank Merlin." said Draco, leaning in and kissing Ginny again. She kissed him back.

Gradually, the day went on, and a rather agitated Harry was the only person who was sitting in the Gryffindor common room. "Why'd she have to go to Malfoy, OF ALL THE PEOPLE!" Harry ranted bitterly to himself. Ginny came back to the common room around midnight and went past Harry.

Harry looked round, the charms were on the verge of wearing off, but she still floated, her hair was curled ever so slightly, and her robes billowed behind her. Harry, looked confusedly at her. She ignored him, plopping into an armchair by the fire.

"Harry?" she turned to him a smile. When he looked at her, she qukcly drew her wand. "Obliviate." Ginny was very careful to obliviate only their break-up, and led Harry to blieve they had had a mutual break-up after discussing the entire Eloise debacle. A few moments later, Harry had completely lost all memory of what had happened.

"Goodnight Harry." said Ginny.

"Night." he said, with a slight smile.

Ginny went up to bed. She got undressed and laid down on her bed. She was quickly asleep.

_Black owls. Black owls, circling over the huge table in the Great Hall. Each clutched a letter in it's talons, or in it's beak. Every letter had a green seal on it. A green snake seal.  
  
The letters dropped to many different people, but only two were seen clearly. One with black hair, and green eyes, a grim expression on his face.  
  
The other with silver blonde hair and steely eyes. When the letter dropped into his hand his face looked determined, unsurprised._

_The scene went black, there was nothing. Then the black slowly started to fade into shades of gray. Gray faded until it was blinding white. Everything was blinding white. But in the middle of all this whiteness was a pool of red. And in the middle of the pool lay two bodies, side by side. One with silver hair. The other with black._

_A letter dropped into her own hand. Her fingers closed around it and she opened it. She kept trying to read it, but the letters were blurred. _

_Ginny saw a row of coffins. She sped past them, too fast to see names. _

_Everything went black. Then it was red and she saw Draco. His left arm was held up, bare. A skull with a snake coming out of it's mouth was tatooed there.  
  
_


	8. Too fast

Daphne was snuggled up to Blaise. Idly, one of her figners trailed patterns over his bare chest. Blaise let his head fall to the side, his eyes closed, sleepily. Daphne leaned her head agaisnt Blaise's, feeling tired.

"You alright?" He asked, a hand of his resting on her stomach.

She nodded. "Fine. You just managed to tire me out." said Daphne, grinning.

"Well, I try." said Blaise with a cheeky grin.

"YEs, I know."

Blaise ran a finger from her stomach up her chest, to her neck and across her lips, tracing gently

"Mmmm..." Daphne murmured.

Blaise grinned, and turned himself, so he was leaning over her. "Do you ever get tired?" asked Daphne, chuckling.

"Well, I do, but i like to make an effort." Blaise leant down, and kissed her.

"Nice to know you're at least human." she murmured between kisses. He chuckled, locking his lips agaisnt hers again

Later on they were laying in bed. "I forgot to tell you, my aunt's coming to visit for Christmas." said Daphne, snuggling into Blaise's side.

"Your Aunt?" He questioned, snuggling up to her.

"Mmmmhmmm." she murmured. "Blaise...... If I broke up with Terry, would you want to go out? Our parents would be pleased for one thing. I only even dated Terry to piss my parents off, and he knows it."

"Yea ok." He replied, his words were sleepily said. "Did he ever find out about me?" He asked.

"Yeah. He doesn't care much. I get to piss off my parents, he gets to mess around with 'the prettiest girl in school'. It was more a deal then a relationship anyway. He'll learn to live with it."

"Eh, worked out for both of you then." replied Blaise, his head lazily rising, his lips kissing the skin of her shoulder gently.

"I suppose."

"You suppose?" said Blaise. Daphne shrugged. Blaise noded slightly, and let his head fall back against the pillow it once rested on.

"Do you think Ginevra and Draco will last?" asked Daphne, laying comfortably against him.

"To be honest, I don't have a clue. I'd like to say yes, but I also have doubts."

"They make a gorgeous couple though." said Daphne, purely from an asthetic point of view.

"They do look good together." said Blaise, thinking.

"She could be really gorgeous with a full Slytherin make over. The straight hair was over-kill however. Draco meant well, I'm sure, but it takes a woman's touch. Mine, to be precise."

"Why don't you, she seems to have warmed to you particularly." Blaise said.

"Well how could she not? I am irresistably charming, don't you agree, Mister Zabini?" said Daphne, smirking.

"You are incredibly beautiful, AND irresistably charming, Miss Greengrass."

"Why thank you, Mister Zabini."

"It's my pleasure, Miss Greengrass."

"Somehow I'm not tired. Do you want to sleep or go and find Draco and Ginevra?"

"I could be awake." said Blaise, blinking, trying to wake himself up a little.

"You can sleep if you want to. Today is the last Hogsmeade trip until Febuary, the one for those of us who stayed for Christmas to go last minute gifting. I think I'll drag Ginevra out shopping."

"That'd be great if i could sleep." said Blaise, looking like he was going to drift off any second.

Daphne kissed his forehead and rolled out of bed. She looked around the room and finally up at the hanging light. How the hell did we get my panties up there?" asked Daphne, pointing at a pair of lacey thong underpants hanging from the candle hanger.

Blaise poked his head out of the curtains, "I have no idea." he replied, looking confusedly at them. She grabbed them and pulled them on.

"They are incredibly sexy panties, but I have to admit, they suit you better when they are off." he said, poking out his tongue cheekily.

"Oh really?" said Daphne. She bounced over to him, wearing nothing but her thong and teasingly kissed him. "Now what did we do with my bra?"

"Check the mantle peice, I think that's where we were when I removed it from you." said Blaise

"Ah yes." said Daphne, grabbing a matching lacey bra that didn't look like it did much in the way of support. She picked up her dark green robes and slipped over her head, unwrinkling them with a quick charm.

"See you later love." she said, kissing him again.

"Bye hun." he replied with a smile. "Have fun." He called.

"I will." said Daphne. She headed out into the common room, to find Draco and Ginny making out on the couch. She stood in the doorway, counting down under her breath how long it would take them to notice her.

After having stood there for a good eighty seconds, she cleared her throat.  
  
"What?" came Draco's voice and two heads popped over the back of the couch.  
  
"I'm kidnapping your girlfriend." said Daphne.

"Does it involve the two of you nude?" asked Draco.

"It might..."

"Hmmm..."  
  
"Oh shush you." Ginny pushed Draco back down and got off of him, walking over to Daphne. After a little more ribbing Daphne and Ginny left for Hogsmeade.

"So, what exactly are we doing?" asked Ginny.

"You're getting a makeover." said Daphne.

"Draco did that." said Ginny.

"Draco's got good fashion sense and isn't completely beauty illiterate, but dear, he's a male. And he's not gay, or at elast for your sake I hope not. Therefore, I am going to pin you down and make you over if it's the last thing I do."

"Because Draco's not gay?"

"Oh, love, if he is, he won't be after he sees you done up in true Slytherin style." said Daphne with a smirk.

"You're frightening." said Ginny.

"I know. Come on, we're getting you new robes." said Daphne. Ginny started to go into Madame Malkins.  
  
"Are you insane? We're not shopping there."  
  
"But they're the only place that carries second hand robes down here..." started Ginny

"Second hand? Darling, why do you think Draco has an account? 'Put it on the book.' the five most lovely words in the English language. Use them often. You can, actually, because I happen to know that Draco Malfoy has an account at every shop in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley." said Daphne.

"I don't want to us-" started Ginny.

"Dear, trust me, he's not going to mind when he sees you." said daphne. Eventually she brought Ginny around.

They went down a back alley into a small shop. Daphne entered and immediately began picking out robes.

"Isn't that a little... Uhhh low cut, Daphne?"

Daphne pulled out something, and held it up, comparing it to Ginny. "Low cut? This isn't low cut." She replied with a slight laugh, some of her dresses had no neck line.

Ginny blinked at it. "I thought the point of a neck line was that it was somewhere near your neck."

"I have a dress with a neckline that reaches my navel." said Daphne, putting it back, and looking through the rest of the rail.

"Isn't it kind of... Slutty, to wear something like that?" asked Ginny cautiously.

"Not if you charm it to stay put in the right places."

"That's... Not really the point, but okay." said Ginny.

"I know what you meant. And usually, I wear them for Blaise."

"I don't see the point of wearing something like that for Blaise... It obviously won't stay on long." said Ginny, giggling.

Daphne laughed. "I see what you mean."

"Anyway, I have no clevage, so the point of me wearing a dress like that would be...?"

"The wonders of gel-filled bras." replied Daphne, moving on, noticably in her element. Her other element was when her and Blaise got together.

"Gel-filled... Are you nuts?"

"No." She replied, looking down at Ginny.

"What if he feels me up? He gets a handful of gel?" said Ginny, laughing.

"They feel relatively normal, and well, hasn't Draco allready felt you up?"

"Yes..." said Ginny, blushing.

"Then what do you have to worry about?" She replied with a slight smile.

Ginny sighed. "Nothing, I suppose. I give up. You can do whatever you want." she instantly regretted it, wodnering how dangerous that statement was going to be.

Daphne grinned, "Alright."

"Just don't do anything irreversable." said Ginny quickly.

"Fine, spoil my fun!" teased Daphne. Ginny flipped through a few robes. Daphne was pulling them out and hooking themn onto her had at an alarming rate.

"How many robes are we buying?" asked Ginny, eyes wide.

"Two or three, I am just picking some for us to try." said Daphne with a smile.

"Ok." said Ginny. There were a good twenty in that pile, and finally Daphne beckoned to her, for them to go over and try them on.

Ginny walked over. "I'm going to try on that many robes?"

"Well, if you want." Daphne said, looking through the pile.

"No, because we'll be here for hours if I try them all on!" said Ginny.

"I know." She replied. She thought for a moment, and began sorting through them, and handed Ginny, the ones which, in Daphne's opinion would look best on her.

Ginny took them. She ended up with eleven. "Erm... Can I veto this one?" she said, holding one up.

"WHy?"

"Because it looks like a shirt Daphne!"

"Go ahead." she smiled, taking the ones she had for herself. Ginny went into the booth and slipped on the first robe. She came out. Daphne slunk out of the one next to her.

Ginny looked at herself in the mirror. "I look like a hooker." she glanced at the price. "An extremely expensive hooker." she amended.

Daphne, however who had the same dress on, looked at herself in the long mirror infront of her approvingly. "I don't mind it so much." The robes had a hue plunging neckline, and barely a belt around the bottom.

"Riiight..." Ginny went back into the changing room. Daphne admired herself a little longer, before going and putting on the next. Ginny came back out. Daphne took a little longer, but finally swept out dramatically.

Ginny looked at herself. "This one's better." it was slinky, dark red. It had a low neckline, but ntohign like the other one, and it was ankle length, with bell sleeves.

" Isn't bad." said Daphne, looking at Ginny from an angle with a smile. She had a floaty black one on, with corsetted bodice, and netted sleeves. Again, an incredibly low neckline, but that was Daphne's preference.

"I'm going to get this one." said Ginny. She tried on several others and ended up with four. "What next?" asked Ginny of Daphne.

"Hmm." thought Daphne.

"Well there's the salon down the road." said Daphne. "Could get your hair died, a little darker. I need mine highlighted again."

"Why would they go crazy?" asked Daphne.

"Because I'm their little girl. Let's go. That's what coloring charms are for. I can hide it."

Daphne smiled and they trudge off up the road.

Fifteen minutes later, Ginny looked at herself in a mirror. "Merlin! Daphne, you said a LITTLE darker!" she almost screeched. It was a dark red. Pretty with her skin tone. "I've gone from orange to... I have no idea what this color is."

"Deep crimson, i think they call it." said Daphne, her hair even blonder than before.

"Well... It is kind of pretty. What's next?" asked Ginny, resigned.

"What?" asked Daphne, noticing the tone in her voice.

"I'm just wondering what you're going to pull next."

"Me? Pull next?" Daphne looked at Ginny in a mock disbelieving way.

"Yes. You. Pull next."

"I was going to ask you to suggest somethng."

"Well it's your makeover, I have no idea.

Daphne shrugged. "Make up? Hair, shoes?, all three?"

Ginny was nervously waiting outside of the entrance of the Slytherin common rooms. Daphne was getting Draco.

Draco, who had been half asleep, pulled himself out of the dorm, and down into the common room sleepily.

He was grumbling under his breath about stupid women who wouldn't let him sleep when Ginny came down into the common room.

She was wearing black robes (she had picked black because she knew Draco liked them. They had a corseted bodice with a deep v neck and bell sleeves. They were knee length but a slit on each side that went a good six inches above her knees made that a rather moot point. On her feet were stilleto high heeled boots. daphne ahd had to try several differnt grace charms before Ginny could walk without the threat of breaking her ankle, let alone be sexy in them. On her face she wore a little eye make-up and dark red lipstick. Her hair spilled just to her shoulders in big waves.

Ginny waited for Draco's reaction, trying desperately not to bite her lip or fidget.

His eyes widened. "Wow." formed on his lips, before he floated over to her. "You look amazing!" he said, slightly lost for words.

"I look like I'm trying to pretend to be Daphne..." said Ginny uncomfortably.

"And you're carrying it off well." said Draco, linking his hands with hers.

"Thank you." said Ginny softly. Daphne had tried to get her to let out the Slytherin that everyone got glimpses of but this outfit made her feel silly and now she was acting like a shy litle Gryffindor. An attitude that really didn't match the outfit.

Draco smiled at her, "Heels are slightly precarious aren't they?" he said, kissing her cheek.

"Is that comment on my grace?" said Ginny, arching an eyebrow, instantly much more Slytherin.

"I'd imagine they are hard to walk in." He said, replying arching his eyebrow right back at her.

"You could always try them on later." said Ginny, face completely dead pan.

"Planning on taking them off?" said Draco suggestively.

"Only if you want to wear them." said Ginny. She was trying hard not to laugh and mostly succeeding. Except for a twitch in her cheek her face was dead pan. Draco ran a finger down her cheek with a light laugh. It was all she could do not to turn into a pile of goop, but that wouldn't have been very Slytherin of her. He kissed her, the stilettos giving her that extra few inches that she needed to be able to reach his lips, without having to stand on tip toes. She kissed him back, reminding herself to buy more of these stiletto things. There were comfort charms and the extra height made it well worth while. Plus, they made her legs look killer.

He wrapped his arms right round her, Blaise wolf whistled as Draco tilted her back kissing her deeper, suspending her at an angle which many a time, Draco had swept a girl into, and turned them into mush.

"Blaise you be quiet." came daphne's voice burrily. Ginny really wasn't listening.

He eventually pulled her back up again, their bodies close, their lips still touching.

Daphne and Blaise had gone.

Ginny wasn't breathing in the normal sense of the word really, partially because of the corsetted top, mainly because of Draco.

Draco was slightly out of breath. He knocked his nose against her, their lips brushing as Draco opened his eyes.

"That was.... Very romance-novel-ly." said Ginny in a breathy voice.

"That all it was?" asked Draco with a cheeky smile, his hands wandering about her back, playing with the ties on her back.

"It was also pretty damn sexy."

Draco smiled, "Good." he said, beginning to kiss her neck. She let her head fall back, spilling her dark red hair down her back. He caressed her throat and what part of her shoulder was bare. Ginny took in a deep, shaky breath. Or tried to. She was discovering that corsets really weren't very romantic. It was of course, nothing compared to corsets of old but still, it didn't exactly encourage yoga style breathing.

Draco loosened the corset, undoing some of the ties on its back. Ginny shifted, wondering how far draco thought this was going to go.

"Thanks." said Ginny, feeling reassured.

"My pleasure." said Draco, his face right up to hers.

"I'm sure." said Ginny with a little smirk. She felt all shaky but was hiding it rather well.

He ran a hand through her hair, "Want to come into my dorm?" He asked smoothly.

"I- well, but..." stammered Ginny. Draco kissed her deeply. Ginny was sensible, to an extent, but she was a dreamer and susceptible to charm and kissing and the like. She melted into the kiss. They, with a bit of expert guidance from Draco up the stairs, ended up sitting together on his bed, their lips locked tightly.

"What was that you were saying?" asked Draco, buring his face in her neck. She hadn't spoken a word since he had kissed her.

"I'm... Not.. sure." murmured Ginny in delerious tones. Whilst Draco heavily hicked her neck, he began to untie the back of her corset running his hands on the bare skin of her back. Whilst Draco heavily hicked her neck, he began to untie the back of her corset running his hands on the bare skin of her back. He did just that, sliding it off her top slowly, prolonging their kiss as long as possible.

"Maybe we should..." said Ginny, about to try and stop things before they got further. Draco thread his arms around her and kissed her passionately and deeply. Ginny lost track of her thoughts again, feeling her naked chest pushed against his shirt. Soon it was pushed against his bare chest.

The next morning Ginny woke up, feling confused. This couldn't be right. She was sticky with sweat. And naked. She also wasn't the only one in the bed, she realized. She was on her side, facing another person. A person who had a leg and arm thrown over her. A silver haired person. She shifted and found that she was rather sore.

"I had sex with Draco Malfoy." she muttered. "I had _sex_ with Draco Malfoy." I had sex with _Draco Malfoy_!" the last was not loud, but it verged on a squeal.

Draco shifted round as the pitch of her voice got higher. Ginny shut up immediately and held still, not wanting him to wake up. He didn't. His silver hair fell across his peaceful sleeping face.

She wondered if she could sneak out of bed and then avoid him for the rest of the day. At the moment it didn't strike her as a weird morning-after reaction, although it would later. He shifted his limbs from ontop and by her, rolling so that his chest was exposed, the sheets covereing downwards from his navel.

Ginny looked around for her clothes. She spotted htem. "Oh god, I cannot believe I wore that." her hair fell into her face. "I can't believe I died my hair... I can't believe I lsot my virginity to Draco Malfoy......." she nearly groaned. Going into Draco's closet she grabbed one of his robes and slipped it over her head. It was far, far too big, but it was better than Harry catching her in that dress.

Draco slept still, looking angelic, not a word used to descibe Malfoys often. Ginny collected her things and quickly left, wincing. She really was awfully sore. There was no one around in the corridors on the way up to the Gryffindor common room. She made it into the common room, just hoping Harry was sleeping. Harry was sitting in a chair by the warm fire in the grate of the common room. Ginny cursed under her breath.

Harry looked round. "Ginny?" he asked, getting up.

"Hi."

"Hey." smiled Harry. "What you going up at this time? I thought you were asleep."

"Went for a walk." said Ginny, hoping he wouldn't comment on the clothes bundled in her hands or the too-big robes.

"Ah right, feeling ok?" Harry asked, noticing she looked paler, not twigging the darker hair.

"Yeah, fine."

"I'm glad." said Harry, yawning slightly.

"Right well, I'm going to get changed then. Bye Harry." said Ginny, dsiappearing up the stiars. She took a shower, put on a pair of jeans which were too small and a faded Weasley sweater, both hand-me-downs. Draco eventually woke up, looking around, his vision blurred with sleep.

Draco sat up. "Ginevra?" he said, confusedly. "Ginvevra?!" he called. His face contorted into a scowl.

Blaise poked his head in the door. "I was on the couch in the common room. She left, wearing one of robes, mate. A good hour ago."

"Hmmm..." said Draco, leaning back on his hands. "Didn't you stop her?"

"No." said Blaise.

"Urgh." said Draco groggily, pushing his hair from his face. Inside, he was angry that she just left like that, but his icy outer hid it.

"Mad because you usually do the ditching?" asked Blaise casually.

"Precisely." replied Draco, just as calmly.

"Bit priggish of you, isn't it?"

"Slightly." replied Draco, looking up at him.

"Well, if it bothers you go find her. Five galleons if you can. My bet, she's hiding."

"I will, and yes, she probably is."

Ginny should have stayed in Gryffindor tower, if she wanted to hide. Draco, did, of coruse, have the password, because he was a rpefect, but he'd have to risk bumping into Harry if he chose to go to the common room.

Instead, however, she was down at the Quidditch pitch, swooping around on her Nimbus 2000. It didn't seem likely that draco would think to look for her there.

Draco strolled casually down onto he quidditch pitch after having looked around most the school for her.

Ginny was swooping through the air, doing back flips, loop-the-loops, the hardest things she could think of. She was sweating, her hair was stuck to her neck, even though it was December, and snow was on the ground. Infact, Draco spotted a black lump that suspiciously resembled a cloak. She was up tehre, in the December air, without a cloak, or robes.

"Where'd you go?" Draco called up to her. Of course she didn't hear him.

"_Sonorus_." he said to himself before clearing his throat. "Where'd you go?" his voice rang out loudly round the pitch. Ginny turned sharply on her broom and came barreling down the pitch towards him. She stopped inches from him and swung off of her broom in one smooth motion. On land she was clumsy, but in the air, she was no such thing. Draco would ahve told you she wasn't so bad in bed either.

"You left." said Draco, his steely eyes sharpened.

"I didn't want to miss breakfast." said Ginny quickly. She hadn't gone to breakfast, of course, but draco didn't need to know that.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"Nobody I know likes to be woken up, even for breakfast. You know, I didn't have one of my dreams last night?" said Ginny, trying desperately to change the subject and knowing he was rather fascinated with her dreams.

"You didn't?" asked Draco. " I wonder why that was." he crossed his arms in thought.

"I don't know. Maybe it was you." said Ginny.

"Might have been." said Draco with a slight smugness to his words. "And you should have woken me, even to say that you were leaving."

"Okay, I'm sorry." said Ginny, glad that he wasn't friends with any odf the people she kenw had been at breakfast. The likelyhood of his finding out that she had lied was slim. He never had to know why she'd left and she could just... Avoid sex. Or something like that.

Draco nodded, his face becoming less hard, although the anger in his face still hadn't subsided. She hoped that he let it go... But with the way Draco was, she doubted it.

Draco looked at her, harshly he began to form words. "You I don't aprreciate being left like that." he advanced on her, taking a pace forward. The crunch of ice under his foot as menacing as his voice.

Ginny stumbled back. "No need to go all vampire on me, Draco."

"Vampire?" spat Draco. He advanced again. "I mean it, No one ever does that to me, because they know I'll get very, very angry." his voice hissed out the words. He seemed to tower down over her.

"Don't try and imtimidate me, Draco!" snapped Ginny, pointing a finger into his chest. He stared down at her, making no reply, and not moving in the slightest. Ginny glared back up at him. "Back off of me if you're going to be hostile."

"Who said I was going to be hostile." replied Draco coldly.

"Oh, you're not being hostile at all Draco, forgive me."

"This isn't hostility." his lip curling with a slight smirk.

"Fuck you." said Ginny succinctly, moving to go past him.

"You did that already." replied Draco, stepping infront of her.

"Let me past Draco." said Ginny icily. "Because I am not interested in talking to you right now." He didn't move, purposfully making her walk around him. That was Draco's way. Everyone had to bend around him. Ginny walked around him. He watched, not saying another word. She went into the castle, postiviely fuming. Okay, she shouldn't have left. She knew that. And he would have had a right to be mad. But trying to intimidate her, refusing to let her pass... Draco looked around the pitch, cooling off. He could just make out the dark red spec moving up towards the castles that was Ginny.


	9. Sleeping

I apologize for chapter eight, it was really bad. :-P During the beginning of this chapter it may seem like I'm letting it get pointless and stupid, but there IS a plot to this story and it is being followed, I promise!

End A/N

For the next two days Ginny avoided Draco. Soon it was Christmas Eve. Daphne, who Ginny had spent a good amount of time with, had been trying to convince Ginny to talk to Draco, but Ginny wouldn't.

Draco was sitting in the common room. Blaise was sitting with him. Daphne, who had been sitting across from them, got up.

"Where are you going?" asked Blaise.

"Picking Ginny up, we're going to fly for a bit."

Draco watched her get up. He hadn't really spoken a whole load, but his face spoke very loudly. He was annoyed, his brow had been furrowed in thought for a few days and the look in his eyes seemed to have become permanent.

"You really pissed her off." Daphne said to Draco. "I have been trying to get her to talk to you."

Draco breathed in. "She pissed herself off. I just spoke."

"Oh you're so incredibly full of it." said Daphne exasperatedly.

Draco shrugged stiffly. "And.."

"Everything is everybody else's fault. Not yours. Maybe you should think about how you could have possibly caused her to feel she needed to leave Draco. or think about what could have scared you. Instead of thinking about yourself and your big, fat bruised ego." Daphne left.

"You sure do know how to charm the ladies." said Blaise, smirking.

"Blaise, do I need to say it?" He said through gritted teeth. Blaise smiled charmingly. Draco shook his head, his jaw clenched firmly. He was clearly pissed off.

"Draco. Talk to her. Tell her your sorry. Tell her you were just upset and lost your temper. Here's a new concept... BE sorry. Or pretend you're sorry. I don't care. But do something because you're driving me nuts and killing you is beginning to look like a lovely option."

"Killing me." Draco let out a short, and not very amused laugh.

Blaise rolled his eyes.

Hours later, the girls came back in, giggling. Draco had spent the whole while working out his plan.

Daphne wasn't wearing any makeup. She wore sweats and had her hair tied back messily. She looked like any other teenage girl. it was refreshing.

"I couldn't believe that loop you made, Ginny, it was amazing." gushed Daphne. She was the only female member of the Slytherin Quidditch team, a chaser.

"Thank you. You're pretty damn good yourself, Daphne. I've seen anyone turn so sharp."

"The fact that I have Firebolt XI has a lot to do with it 'Nevra, and you know it."

"'Nevra... I rather like that." said Ginny.

Draco had got up, watching the two girls talk to each other excitedly. He peeled off his top layer of robes, exposing the rather tight fitting black t-shirt, and the black combat trouser he had on underneath.

Ginny was very carefully not looking at Draco. He walked over to them, looking like he was having stern words with his feet and the floor, his eyes fixed downwards. Ginny continued to pointedly ignore him. Her hair was in a messy bun but tendrils were sticking to her neck, trailing inside her brown sweatshirt. The knee of her white sweat pants were dirty and her face was bright red from the cold and the exertion.

"Ginevra?"said Draco, looking down at her. He had his hands clasped together behind him.

She spun around. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"To talk to you." replied Draco. She had used his second name, again, that didn't fill him with confidence at all.

"So talk." said Ginny, planting her hands on her hips. She knew she was being an unreasonable bitch, only _partly_ because Daphne had told her so that morning.

"I wanted to apologize." He said, his silvery hair covering the fact his steely eyes were looking a little unsure of themselves. A Malfoy, apologize? HA!

Ginny blinked, looking surprised. "You... you do?" asked Ginny.

"Yes." said Draco, crossing his arms, flicking his hair from his face with a quick movement of the head, a raise of an eyebrow completing his stance. Ginny waited, as if to say 'so do it'.

"I'm sorry for getting like that. It was wrong of me, and I shouldn't have."

Ginny shifted from foot to foot, wanting desperately to be bitchy about it. But her damned Weasley conscience wouldn't let her. "Apology accepted." and then, because he had apologized, and Malfoys never apologize, and also, to a certain extent, because if she had to not look at him for another second she would explode, she let her eyes start at his feet and go all the way up, in the way most people only think boys check girls out.

"Nice t-shirt." said Ginny, stealing his own smirk (he was sure he'd had the damn thing copyrighted) and turning it on him.

"Thanks." said Draco, watching her. He began pushing up his sleeves and afterwards, planted his hands absently in his pockets.

"Are we gonna go take a shower, Daphne?" asked Ginny.

"Both of you, in a shower, together?" Draco raised an eyebrow, with a slightly mischeivious curl to his lip.

"Oooops, she didn't mean to hint that." said Daphne.

"Nope, not at all. And we don't kiss either." smirked Ginny.

"Kiss? Shower? Girls?" Blaise sat up so fast he nearly got vertigo.

Draco laughed, turning to Blaise. "Just go back to what you were doing."

"I was sleeping. Trust me, this is much more interesting. Now what was this, with the kissing?" asked Blaise. Daphne and Ginny were leaning on each other, giggling uncontrollably. Draco shook his head, tutting at him.

"Whaaat?" asked Blaise. "And Draco Malfoy, if you say you don't think the idea of our girlfriends making out in the shower is sexy, I'll have to take you to St. Mungos. Symptoms: no longer acting like a male..."

"It is incredibly hot, but, It's not going to happen." replied Draco.

"Why must you all torture me?" asked Blaise dispairingly. He flopped back out of sight. Ginny leaned into Daphne and whispered something.

"We'll kiss." said Daphne. She was smirking a very dangerous looking smirk. Blaise sat bolt upright once again. Draco's face went into a state of shock. He couldn't hardly believe what she had just said.

"If..." said Ginny

"If you two do." Daphne was cracking up.

Draco went whiter if possible. "If we kiss?" Blaise looked at Draco.Ginny nodded and then started laughing as hard as Daphne was. Draco looked round. He wasn't homophobic or anything, but kissing boys scared him.

Draco swallowed waiting for Blaise to answer. Blaise thought about it for a few seconds. "Ok." he agreed. Ginny burst into another round of giggles, shortly joined by Daphne.

Draco turned and scowled at him. "Blaise!"

"What? Draco, you are probably the hottest guy in this school! Why wouldn't I wanto to kiss you?" teased Blaise. "But I think you guys should have to do more then kiss." finished Blaise.

Draco had to agree. "Yeah, I will only if you two do more!" He said, feelin incredibly uncomfortable.

"Why should we unless you do?"

"Because, this is a bigger deal for a guy, than a girl!"

"And why the fuck is that? Justin Finch-Fletchley makes out with a boy regularly." said Daphne.

" Yes, but he's gay."

"I'm not gay." said Daphne.

"Daph, I know perfectly well you're bi." said Blaise.

"Yeah well, 'Nevra isn't."

"Neither am I." Draco added. He was as straight as any person could be.

"How much more?" asked Ginny. Draco looked to Blaise. He wasn't about to dictate how much further they should go. Blaise shrugged.

"We'll full on make out." said Daphne, shrugging. "If you two kiss."

"Alright." Blaise said, getting up and going over to Draco. Ginny started giggling at the face Draco was making.

"Come here you big stud, you." Blaise said, kissing the rather stunned Draco.

Daphne started rolling around the floor. Ginny was in shock, she had had no idea they'd do it. Daphne gasped out "Draco, don't let Blaise do all the work!" Draco kissed him back, but only for a few seconds. He pulled away quickly. "Wow, now I know why people like kissing ou so much!" Blaise said with a grin. He was winding Draco up, and doing a good job at it. Ginny giggled.

"Shut up." Draco replied to Blaise, now feeling incredibly uncomfortable.

"Make me." said Blaise. "And aren't you forgetting...? Enjoy the show, man."

"Point taken. " Draco turned his attemtions to Ginny and Daphne.

"Can we shower first?" asked Ginny.

"Sure." Draco said.

"As long as you promise to keep your side." Blaise said.

"Yeah yeah yeah." said the girls.

They left and came back thirty minutes later, hair wet, wrapped in bathrobes. Draco and Blaise were sitting on the couches, and both looked round as they entered the common room again. Blaise had a grin on his face from something he had finished saying before they walked into the room.

"Uh oh." said Ginny and Daphne at the same time when the saw Blaise's grin.

"What?" asked Blaise innocently. Draco smiled slightly, the curl in his lip more knowing than anything else.

"What's up?" Ginny said quikcly.

"Oh its nothing." replied Draco. "Blaise just exciting himself."

"Ummm that sounds wrong." Ginny giggled.

"It is." He replied, getting up and going over to Ginny. They hadn't touched each other for over two days, it was getting to a point where he was going slighty crazy. Ginny smiled at him and, going up on tip toe and pulling him down, kissed him soundly.

"Miss me?" said Ginny, rather rhetorically, dropping a wickedly sexy smirk that was a direct copy of Daphne's. Blaise rolled his eyes.  
  
"Yeah yeah yeah. He missed you. Are you two going to make out or not, because if not draco might kill you. He can't possibly have comprimised his manhood for nothing." Blaise grinned. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Perfectly ridiculous, the both of you." said Daphne. Draco raised an eyebrow at her, before leaning down and again kissing Ginny.

Blaise flopped on the couch. "I am never going to get to see this, am I?" Draco pulled away, after hearing Blaise's whining.

Draco smiled, "Your turn." he said gesturing to Daphne. Daphne walked over. Ginny was looking rather akward. Blaise, on the other hand had sat up and was watching them with enough intensity that Ginny was pretty sure her neck was on fire. Draco watched, this was more for Blaise than anything, but what hot blooded male didn't enjoy hot girl-on-girl action?

Ginny was continually shifting nervously. She really had never in a million years expected the boys to give in and kiss each other. Finally Daphne put a steadying hand on her shoulder, cupped her cheek in the other hand, leaned in and kissed her. Ginny went stiffer then she had the first time Draco had kissed her. Daphne pulled back. Draco glanced to Blaise then back to Ginny

Ginny visibly shook herself, leaned in, and kissed Daphne. Her hands her on Daphne's hips but she slid them up until one was behind Daphne's neck and the other one was near her chest. Blaise looked like his eyes were going to pop out.

Draco's jaw visibly dropped, and his eyes widened. "Wow." He muttered

Ginny pulled back. "Satisfactory, gentlemen?" asked Ginny, smirking in Draco's direction. Daphne was grinning.

"Draco, I'm almost jealous."

Draco curled his lips into a sideways smile. "Yea, well, should've got there before me really."

Blaise came over and grabbed Daphne. "Less talk, more removal of clothing." he dragged away his laughing girlfriend.

Draco laughed and looked to Ginny, his arms crossed. She looked at Draco, one brow arched. She was still wearing just a bathrobe, due to her shower.

"That was definately something." said Draco, smiling at her.

"I think Daphne might be a better kisser than you." said Ginny, teasing. She knew it was kind of fool hardy, given that teasing him was a bit like baiting an underfed lion. Or snake.

"She might?" said Draco, curiously, and somewhat edgily.

"Maaaaybe..." said Ginny in that 'I'm not gonna tell you' tone.

Draco felt slightly threatened. "Is she?" he asked quickly.

"It's different." said Ginny, smile fading. God would it be nice to have a boyfriend she could tease.

Draco realised he had said something wrong as her smile faded. "Well..." he thought. "If she is that good, I'll have to make sure she doesn't do it again." he winked.

"Blaise will be so upset." said Ginny, her playful tone coming back.

"Well, he is going to have to put up with it." Draco entwined his fingers of one hand round hers.

Ginny pouted. "Didn't you think it was hot?"

"It was more than hot." replied Draco, with a grin.

"Oh..?" said Ginny.

Draco grinned. " Well, certainly put Blaise in the mood very quickly, and well...." he thread his arms about her.

"Well what?"

Draco then leant down and kissed her. "I'd be very very tempted to just carry you away now, if, Those two hadn't beaten me to it." Ginny breathed a private sigh of relief. She just couldn't think about having sex with draco now. She felt like a slut anyway. Rationally, she knew she wasn't. She had had sex with one boy. But still, it felt like it. Draco had no idea. He had his arms around her, and he was that much taller. He didn't hear her.

"I should go. If I come in too late, Harry will notice." said Ginny.

"Allright." Draco let go of her, if somewhat reluctantly. Ginny kissed him and disappeared. He watched her leave, now by himself again.

The next morning at breakfast, Blaise was actually looking uncomfortable, an uncustomary look for him.

"You alright?!" Draco asked, noticing that he wasn't his usual self.

"Heh... Well, when Daphne was falling asleep last night she told me something she should't've... Soetmhing you'll be mad if I don't tell you. But uh, she'll kind of kill me if I do tell you." Daphne, in fact, was not at breakfast. Neither was Ginny, Draco had noticed.

"Cut the crap and tell me." replied Draco, looking around for both Josie and Ginny again.

"Well, Daphne was at breakfast the morning after you and Ginevra had sex and.... 'Nevra never came to breakfast. At all.... she lied to you mate. And she won't tell Daphne why either."

" She lied to me?!" said Draco, his temper rising. "Then got mad at me?!"

Blaise shrunk back. "Just uh, don't kill her, amte. And if you're going to go tearing up to the Gryff tower, take your invisibility cloak." Draco sat there, fuming, merely nodding in reply.

Just then Ginny herself came into the Great Hall, nearly skipping. She flashed Draco a quick smile, and then sat down next to Harry at the table. Draco wanted to get up, and get very very angry. But he thought it good to bide his time, in the middle of the Hall, with people around, wouldn't be wise.

Fifteen or so mintues later, Ginny got up, waved to Harry and left. Draco got up and followed her. Making sure not to draw attention to himself. He didn't want Potter following. When got into the hallway, Ginny was heading up the main stairs to get to Gryffindor Tower.

"Ginevra." said Draco loudly and coldly, his voice echoing up the stairs and past her.

Ginny turned. "Draco, shhh... You don't want somebody to hear." said Ginny with an indulgent smile that faded when she saw his expression.

Draco walked up to her, and took her by the wrist. "You're going to want to take this somewhere a little less public." he said, incredibly annoyed.

"Draco, that hurts. What are you on about?"

"You lied to my face." said Draco dangerously, and quietly. He released slightly on her wrist, though not letting go of it.Before he even said anything else, Draco dragged her into the nearest broom closet.

"What are you talking about?" said Ginny, who Draco had pressed back against a wall.

"That morning after we slept together."

"No, I didn't..." said Ginny, shifting uncomfortably. How the hell had he known? He glared at her, he hated being lied to.

"Draco, let me go.... I... I have to study." it was a weak excuse, at best. It was the twenty third of December for goodness sake.

"Day before Christmas eve and you have to study? Where were you?!"

"Flying." said Ginny finally. "After I went to the tower and changed."

"Why did you tell me you were at Breakfast then?" asked Draco, not believeing her.

"Would you have believed me if I told you I skipped out on you because of a sudden urge to fly?"

"Probably not, but I'm still not believing you now!"

"What do you want me to say, Draco? That I left because your loveliness was blinding me?" said Ginny sharply.

"The truth would be nice." he replied icily.

"I don't want to talk to you." said Ginny, trying to push past Draco.

"Why did you lie?" Draco was being deliberately obtuse and getting in her way.

"I didn't feel like talking to you, you were so mad."

"When I was asleep in my bed?"

"No. When you found me on the Quidditch pitch. That is when I told you I had gone to breakfast, if I recall."

"When you haddn't." he was getting flustered.

"Because you were shouting at me. I wounded your precious family and male pride." said Ginny. Draco growled.

"Ohhh, hit a nerve, have I?" said Ginny, taunting him. She had to get him amd enough to leave. She couldn't tell him the truth.

"I don't like being lied to..." said Draco through gritted teeth.

"You don't like thinking maybe I had better things to do then sit around and wait for you to wake up." taunted Ginny.

"Could've woken me." replied Draco, his reactions a little more heated. Ginny was surprised that he hadn't figured out she was hiding something, that she was being mean as armor. Much as he did.

"And I still dont beleive you, where had you gone?!"

"Look, when I'm uspet I fly!" burst out Ginny without thinking.

"Upset?!" he threw back.

"Nevermind." said Ginny quickly.

"Why were you upset?"

"Dream." said Ginny, forgetting that she had told him she hadn't dreamed that night.

"You said you hadn't dreamt that night." said Draco.

"Why couldn't I have been a better liar!" snapped Ginny.

Draco simply shrugged, "So, why were you upset?" he pushed for an answer.

"Because."

"Because?"

Ginny muttered soemthing unintelligible.

Draco strained to hear what she had said. "What was that?"

"I got freaked out. I... I was scared Draco, ok? I realized I wasn't ready to have sex. Except it was just eight hours or so too late." said Ginny. "There. I told you. Can I go now?" she snapped, feeling stupid and young. "Is that answer satisfactory to your Majesty?" she hissed. She wanted to smack him, or punch him, or curse him. Make him feel something like what she felt. Hurt and angry and confused and scared. Her robes were fisted in her ivory hands, her bottom lip was clenched between her teeth and her ears were red. All signs she was nervous and upset. Draco looked down at her for a long while, before stepping aside and opening the door for her.

Ginny rushed past him. Draco watched her, steely eyes following her deep red hair. She hurried up the stairs. Draco left the closet, but didn't head up the stairs after her. He instead turned down the corridor, towards the dungeons.

Blaise was waiting for him. "So?"

"So what?" snapped Draco.

"I assume it went badly then." said Blaise. Draco dropped himself into a chair.

"Tell me." said Blaise flatly.

Draco looked up at him. "She freaked out. She hadn't wanted to sleep with me pretty much."

"Ouch..." Draco bored holes into the floor with his eyes.

"So then what are you going to do?" asked Blaise reasonably. "I mean... Is she justified in being freaked out or is it just typical teenage female horomones?"

"I don't know." said Draco. "I have no idea, you seem to be the expert." he said sarcastically.

"If you're going to be a snot you can figure it out on your own. Or, better yet, ask your dear papa for help. Should be easy. 'Dad, I'm having girl trouble' I can just see his reaction. 'oh, of course son'. And he'd be so pleased when he found out who it was too."

"Fuck. You." replied Draco, really not in the mood for Blaise to be like that.

"Tsk tsk. So incredibly unoriginal. Draco, dear, if you ever felt anything you'd be a bit easier to deal with." said Blaise. He got up and left. That was the first time Blaise had ever abandoned Draco. Ever. Draco was stunned. He watched Blaise leave. He was truly alone.

Ginny flopped onto the couch in the Gryffindor common room. "He's never going to speak to me again." she mumbled. Starting to cry, she buried her face into a couch cushion, glad Harry was out flying. Eventually, she cried herself to sleep.

_She was watching a certain person standing inside a circle. There was a tall person in a cloak standing in front of them. They knelt down. Their hood fell back and she saw coppery hair fall down their back to their tail bone. The figure raised their left arm up. The cloaked person threw their hood back. It was Voldemort. The figure she was watching put their arm into the white, cold hands of Voldemort. The figure screamed as a horrid black tatoo branded itself onto her skin, blossoming from the dark lord's wand. As the figure fell back, Ginny saw it's face. Her face._

Ginny sat up, screaming.

"It... it can't be prophetic. It can't." _There's only one way to tell_. Said the dark voice in the back of her head. The one that had been there forever. "Dreamless sleep potion." _exactly_. Said the voice. "But..." _take it. Hermione gave you a vial, in case, didn't she? _"Yes... Argh. I am NOT talking to myself." _yes, you are._ "Shut up!" said Ginny sharply. She went and got the vial. Taking a deep breath, she took the entire vial. Then she fell back. Asleep.

Harry clambored through the portrait hole. He heard frantic whimpering. He looked round for the noise and spotted Ginny on the couch.

"No... Harry... Dra... No... Stop it..." words upon words were pouring from Ginny's mouth, most incoherent. What could be heard was rather frightening. She turned and tossed crazily.

Harry looked panicked. "Ginny? Ginny?!" he said, kneeling by her, trying to stop her thrashing and to wake her up. She wouldn't wake up.

"Ooooh Shit." Harry said, trying some more, but failing.

After a bit he picked her up to carry her to the infirmary. He didn't notice a black haired shadow slip out from behind a pillar, a worried look on it's face and head for the dungeons.

"Draco." came a sharp voice into the Slytehrin common room. "I just saw Potter, carrying Ginevra. In the direction of the infirmary. She looked unconscious."

Draco's eyes widened. "Fuck." he got up, moving fluidly over to Blaise.

"My sentiments exactly." Draco looked a Blaise for a second, in silent apology.

"Don't worry about it. We have a problem to investigate. We should probably have a manly hug moment, but we haven't the time. I assume you don't want barbarian Potter carrying your girlfriend around longer then necessary?"

Draco shook his head. "Let's go."

"Wait just a minute." Blaise grabbed Draco's shoulder. "She is not going to thank you if you reveal your relationship to goody-two-shoes. Invisibility cloak."

"Good idea." said Draco, turning on his heel, going and getting it. He didn't know what he'd do without Blaise. When he returned Blaise pulled it over the both of them and they set off for the hospital wing. They made their way quickly and quietly to the wing.

Pomfrey was leaning over a bed out of which red hair was spilling. "So stupid... Prophetic dreams... Whole vial of dreamless sleep potion... What could she have been thinking..." the nurse was mutteirng. Potter was nowhere to be seen. Draco and Blaised edged closer to the bed silently. Ginny lay on the bed. From a distance she looked still but up close they could see she was twitching and whimpering low in her throat. Every now and then she would mumbled something, usually incoherently.

Pomfrey bustled out of the room, still muttering.

Draco went over and knelt by Ginny, listening.

"Stop. Not Harry. No... Don't." she whimpered in a garbled sort of voice. Blaise winced. Draco looked incredibly worried, and from what he had heard Pomfrey say, she wasn't in a good state.

"This isn't good..." Draco whispered helplessly. Blaise looked at Ginny's hand. It was bandaged. Draco hadn't noticed that.

Blaise looked at the blonde boy. He would rather Draco be mad then be like this. A mad Draco was at least semi-productive. Draco looked up at him.

"Sounds like she did this to herself." said Blaise blandly. Draco scowled slightly, and got up. Blaise arched a perfect black brow at the other boy. He shook his head slightly, looking back down at Ginny."What?" asked Blaise quietly.

"You think she did this to herself?" Draco hit him round the back of the head with his hand.

"No, Drake. No. I think Lord Voldemort came in and force fed it to her." said Blaise sarcastically.

"I was being sarcastic..." said Draco.

"Well then what was the smack for?" said Blaise irritably, rubbing the back of his head.

"You pointing the obvious."

"Of course she did it to herself, either way. Maybe she didn't know what it was. Or she was trying to see if a new dream was prophetic. Or she knew this could happen.... And was trying to kill herself. Which was the option to which I refered."

"I doubt she tried to kill herself.." said Draco looking down at her again.

"Oh? What makes you doubt it?"

Draco looked at him. " I just do, I didn't upset her that much!"

"It might not have been all you."

"Shut up." said Draco, Blaise was making him flustered.

"I knwo you're pissed off, you can let it out you know. Or maybe you're not. In which case I sincerely doubt you are Draco, because whenever anything happens he didn't command, he has a hissy. Or ten."

Draco looked away, his jaw gritted his teeth. "Shut up!" Blaise shut his mouth, waiting.

"Not Harry..." whimpered Ginny, loudly this time. Draco turned his head quickly. Blaise was certain that hearing Ginny whimper about Harry in her sleep was not doing Draco any favors.

"Harry..." Draco said dismissively, getting even more wound up.

"No. Don't Please. Stop it!" Ginny shrieked. Her tone was that of someone who should have just sat up, sweaty and breathing hard. But she slept on. Blaise flinched. It was disturbing listening to her. Draco clenched a fist.

"Draco." murmured Ginny, tossing and turning. "Draco..." she whimpered. He knelt by her again, hearing herwhimper his name worried him immensely. "Make it stop...." said Ginny. Some part of her subconscious was not compeltely in the dreams that were rushing past her. Draco reached for her hand, and saw the bandages on it.

"Please..." whimpered Ginny most pitifully.

Draco replied. "I can't..." he whispered.

She gave a particularly violent shudder and screamed a piercing, blood-curdling shriek.

A/N:

-Waits to be pelted with rotten fruit- Yes, I know, I'm hurting Ginny, it's bad. But it has a point, I promise!


	10. Waking

Ginny's sudden scream filled the Hospital wing. Draco had been so close to her face, that he jumped, and had landed sprawled on his back on the hard floor. "That can't have been good." he muttered below his breath, picking himself up, pulling up on her bed to steady himself. His hair was mussed from the fall and his robes were half off of one shoulder and showing a flash of green shirt.

Blaise backed up. "My god." he heard footsteps. "Under the cloak, Drake." he hissed. He grabbed Draco's shirt collar and dragged him underneath the cloak, crouching down next to him. Draco pulled the cloak over himself, listening hard.

Another set of footsteps, these heavier and more menacing then Pomfrey's briskly moving, clipped stride. Then two people entered the room. Madame Pomfrey. And one less expected. Professor Snape. Draco's eyes widened, looking up at Snape. The two shifted slilently underneath the hospital bed, still shrouded in the cloak.

Snape, looking at Ginny, muttered something under his breath that sounded something like 'stupid bint'. Blaise nearly laughed. Draco's eyes narrowed dangerously, how _dare_ he insult her. That was _his_ job.

Snape barely glanced at her before turning to Madame Pomfrey. "Dumbledore told you she was having prophetic dreams, correct?" the nurse nodded. "Then why, pray tell, did you fdrag me up here. Obviously Miss Weasley, in some melodramatic attempt at gaining the attention she doesn't get from her brother and his friends, took Dreamless Sleep potion, knowing perfectly well that by taking an entire vial, it would have this effect."

Madame Pomfrey shot her fellow teacher a reproving look. "Albus thinks she had a new dream and was trying to find out if it was prophetic or not."

"Perhaps. Doubtless that will be her excuse, if she wakes up. But either way, anyone with even the tiniest knowledge of potions would know that it doesn't matter whether the particular dream is prophetic or not. Prophets cannot take dreamless sleep potion without having a violent reaction." given that Madame Pomfrey herself had not known this, obviously it required more than a slight knowledge of potions. After all, she was a magical healer. That required at least a E OWL and an E NEWT in potions. Draco listened to every word. He had told Ginny that this made prophetic dreams worse, but he never imagined she'd take so much. He looked to Blaise, his head cocked slightly in thought. He strained his hearing to the point where he couldv'e heard a pin drop.

"At any rate, Professor Snape, you were summoned to find a cure for Miss Weasley."

"There is no cure for a dream trance." said Snape crisply. Dream trance? That threw Draco completely.

"What!" said Madame Pomfrey. "We are to simply let her sit here forever?"

"You better cure her." Draco mouthed up at Snape, who had no idea he was there.

"Not forever, Madame Pomfrey. I do beg you not to be melodramatic. The chit will wake up when the dreams have been spent." as he spoke Ginny shuddered, shaking the bed she was on violently. A groan escaped her lips and an unintelligible scentence.

"And when will that be?" asked Madame Pomfrey stiffly.

"I am a potions master, not a deviner." said Snape. Madame Pomfrey gave him a prodding look. "I have no bleeding idea." said Snape shortly. He turned and left in a swish of black robes. Blaise felt almost as if he should clap. Snape always did put on quite the show. The funny part was that Blaise was fairly sure Snape was actually rather fond of Ginny. As fond as he was capable of being towards a Weasley and a Gryffindor.

Madame Pomfrey muttered disapprovingly, "Her brothers are going to have several litters of kittens. Oh and her poor parents... I just hope for her sake the poor child doesn't have to go to St. Mungo's. Goodness knows one stay in their psycological ward is enough for anyone... And the poor thing is only sixteen..." as she said this Madame Pomfrey was tucking a violently shaking Ginny tightly into bed, clucking her tounge against the roof of her mouth in a worried manner. "Poor Mister Potter, must have scared him out of his wits, walking in and hearing her having the worst nightmare since Merlin and then be unable to wake her..." still talking to herself, Madame Pomfrey left.

Draco waited for the room to be still again, before clambouring out from under the bed, turning and looking at Ginny. The cloak fell from his shoulders. "If Snape doesn't do something for her, he's going to regret it." he growled angrily.

"Draco." said Balise reasonably. "Have you considered the possibility that there may genuinely be nothing he can do? Snape may be a bit of an arse, although he likes us well enough, but he wouldn't intentionally let a student suffer. Physically, at any rate." Draco looked round at Blaise dangerously, he was purposefully trying to wind him up by contradicting everything he was saying, or he was stupid.

"Just pointing out the obvious because your obsession-hazed eyes can't see a damn thing but Miss Personality there."

"Blaise, shut up. It's really not helping!"

"Well you staring at her and ranting about Snape isn't either. At least do something to give the semblance of usefulness. I'm not required to be useful. I'm back up." said Blaise.

Ginny whimpered and turned over fitfully, with difficulty, because Madame Pomfrey had tucked her in rather tightly. That was soon fixed by her shaking and kicking. "He wouldn't... he wouldn't..." she was murmuring into her pillow, over and over. Her delicate legs were pumping as though she was running. The bed clothes fell off and slid to the ground in a blue and white heap of cotton.

Draco picked up her covers, and crumpled them into a ball in his hands. "Like what? I have no idea about this!" he replied, pretty pissed off

Ginny twitched. "Stooooop...." she moaned; a low, throaty wail. With that she turned over, right out of bed, landing with a thump. Draco quickly dropped to her side and picked her up, a scowl on his worry etched face.

Time passed. Christmas came and went. Before anyone knew it, it was after New Year and Christmas break was over. When Ron came back and found out about his sister he was livid Harry hadn't owled the family. Until he found out he had been forbidden to by Dumbledore, because the man felt that, as there was nothing to be done, it was best to let the Weasleys enjoy the holiday. Ginny had been in her trance for nearly two weeks now.

Draco had been up in the infirmary every night under his invisibility cloak. He was with her on Christmas eve, New Years eve, and whenever else he could be.

If Ginny's shaking and shuddering had become less violent it was only because she had had no peaceful sleep or food. Snape had informed Madame Pomfrey (and Draco, though he was not to know that), that Dream Trancers did not die of exhaustion or starvation.

However, unfortunately for Draco, this didn't mean not eating or, technically, sleeping was doing Ginny any good, either way. Her skin was so pale he could see every vein. She looked as though she couldn't possibly weigh more than a sheet of parchment. He was worried to the point where he where he wasn't eating, sleeping or doing anything much that resembled being normal.

As her movement had died down, Ginny had been talking that much more. This meant that Draco was regularly treated to pleas, cries for help and scentence fragments, none of which had any meaning, as far as he could tell, many of which included Harry's name. He was to the point where, if Ginny didn't die of shock when she woke, he might kill her himself for being so damned stupid. He sat there, disgruntled for hours on end at times when she just repeated Harry's name, his used scornfully a few times.

On January tenth, at two in the morning, Draco was just sitting next to Ginny. All of a sudden she gave a scream of "Noooooooo!" and sat bolt upright in bed, eyes wide open, shaking with terror.

Draco did a double take, looking at her. "Ginevra?" he said, in slightly shock.

"D-draco?" said Ginny tearfully.

Draco got up, and stood by her, looking down at her. "I'm here."

"He's coming to get us." said Ginny softly and slowly, looking around as though 'he' was hiding behind one of the mint green seperators that hid her from the rest of the room.

"He?" asked Draco, looking round behind him

"Voldemort." said Ginny, flinching as she said the name. Some things didn't change.

Draco didn't move. "That's not good." he simply replied.

"What happened?" asked Ginny, still shaking so violently she couldn't keep ahold of the bedsheets.

Draco rested his hand on her arm, trying to comfort her. "What happened where?"

"Why am I here? I couldn't wake up... It didn't matter how bad the dream was, I couldn't wake up." said Ginny. She tried to lean over to hug him and fell on him. Not bothering to move she started sobbing into his robes.

Draco held her closely. "You fell into a trance." he whispered to her. "That whole vial of dreamless sleep potion made everything worse."

"I took the whole vial?" murmured Ginny.

Draco nodded. "You did..." Ginny buried her face into his robes.

"Why'd did you take it all?" Draco asked in a harsh whisper.

"I didn't mean to. I took a sip and felt sort of hazy... I don't remember taking it all."

"Blaise went on about how you might've wanted to kill yourself." said Draco, angrily and through gritted teeth

Ginny shrunk back from him. "I didn't try to kill myself." she said in a tiny whisper.

"Good." replied Draco, feeling terrible inside, but the only way he knew how to show anything was through anger most the time.

"I know it was stupid.... I... I don't understand why it did that though.... I just wanted to find out if my new dream was prophetic

"New dream?" asked Draco, raising an eyebrow.

"The only prophetic dream I'd ever had was the one with the letters, and you and Harry..." said Ginny, utterly forgetting she'd refused to tell him much about that dream. "But I had one... I had one where I became a Death Eater. And I was trying to figure out if it was prophetic or not... Because..."

Draco waited for her to finish. He was watching her face, and thinking about all she was saying.

"Because I can't be a deatheater." said Ginny finally.

"That's what your dream said you would become..." said Draco quietly with thought.

"I am NOT going to be a Deatheater, Draco. Ever." said Ginny vehemently. She flopped over onto her pillows. He'd let her go while yelling at her and she was too weak to stay up by herself for long. The effect her flopping like a dead fish had on the statement she was making was not a good one.

Draco reached for her hand. " I know you aren't." he said, and then muttered inaudibly to himself.

"What was that?" asked Ginny, yawning. She was already plotting ways not to sleep. Ever again.

"I have no choice." He said, still quietly.

"Go to Dumbledore." said Ginny firmly. If she could keep him talking he wouldn't insist she get some real sleep. She didn't trust sleep. Sleep was bad, because sleeping meant dreaming and she never dreamed good things anymore. It was quite simple, really.

"Ha, and faced being disowned and killed!?"

"He would protect you." said Ginny, in the tone one uses to talk to a belligerent two year old.

"I can't be protected by him."

She pursed her lips. "If this is some stupid Slytherin pride thing, I swear Draco Malfoy-"

"Slytherin pride has nothing to do with it." interrupted Draco.

"Then pray tell, what does it have to do with?"

"Voldemort'll know where I am, and he'll know how Dumbledore was protecting me." said Draco, knowing that whatever he did there was no way he could escape it. Ginny kept her mouth shut, jaw tight. She was going to do something about this. But he didn't have to know it. Draco ran a hand back through his hair. He looked over at her, his steely eyes meeting her's.

"Didn't you miss me?" asked Ginny quietly.

"I have been sitting here every day since you fell into that trance, watching. I missed you." replied Draco.

"Well just how long is it going to take for you to kiss me?" demanded Ginny in an irritated manner, sounding just like him.

Draco smiled slightly, and, leaning forward and down, kissed Ginny. She wrapped skinny, pale arms around his neck and kissed him back. He could feel her bones. He had missed her so much, he just didn't show it, at all. He placed a hand on her side, her rib cage prominent under her robes. Draco thought she needed sustenance and soon. She pulled back, breathing hard, both because of the kiss, and because she was weak and needed to breathe more anyway.

Draco realised, and pulled away, giving her a little room to breath. "Sorry." he muttered to her.

Ginny shook her head. "Don't be." her stomach growled. "I'm hungry."

"You've wasted away. Want me to go get Madam Pomfrey and some food?"

Ginny nodded as vigorously as she could, yawning widely. I am not sleeping. I am not going to sleep, ever again. She told herself sternly. Sleep is vastly over rated anyway. Draco kissed her gently once more and dissappeared off to find Madam Pomfrey, and food.

Ginny was bravely fighting off sleep.

A little while later, Madam Pomffreys steps echoed up the hall, along with the patter of a little pair of feet, and Draco's hollow steps. Ginny was half asleep, laying weakly against her pillows. Draco opened the door, and all three of them entered. Madam Pomfrey rushed over to her and started to check her over. The house elf who was infront of Draco came in with a tray of food - soup, bread, juice, fruit etc.

Ginny flashed a smile at Draco, just hoping Madame Pomfrey didn't comment to her parents about Draco Malfoy being there when she woke up. That would be bad. He smiled back, glad she was awake again. "Thank you." she said softly to the house elf. The house elf bowed lowly, and squeaked a most gracious reply. He then left quickly.

Ginny dug into her food. She just hoped Madame Pomfrey didn't try and make her sleep. Draco stood behind at the curtain watching with a smile.

Madam Pomfrey tutted. "You are severely exhausted. You need to sleep." Ginny took a huge bite so that she wouldn't have to answer. Several huge bites.

"I can't give you any potions, but you are going to have to try - Mr. Malfoy what are you doing here still? SHOO!" Ginny shot Draco a pleading look. She had finished her food and really had no excuse to be awake.

Draco replied, "I have to speak with Ginevra." he wasn't going to give Madam Pomfrey a reason.

Madame Pomfrey let out a huff. "Alright, I am going to bed. Be sure she does get some sleep, and no more than fifteen minutes!" she turned on her heel and left.

Ginny collapsed back against her pillows. Draco glided over to her bed and sat down by her. She had her eyes wide, as though she was forcing them that way.

"Ginevra, if you want to sleep, I'll wake you up if you start thrashing around, or shouting. At least that way you'll get rest." said Draco quietly.

"No." said Ginny sharply.

"Why?" replied Draco, looking at her

"I can't go back to sleep." said Ginny, her lower lip quivering. "I-" she took a deep, shaky breath.

Draco took hold of her hand gently, his touch cold. " You need to rest." He said, looking at her.

"I won't." said Ginny stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest, thereby yanking her hand away from Draco. She stuck out her lower lip and glowered at him. It was actually rather funny.

Draco just looked at her. She was being stubborn, and Draco knew it. "You can't stay awake forever you know...!"

"Watch me." said Ginny defiantly. She made an interesting picture, propped up among her pillows, nearly the same shade as the bright white cases, her red hair in sharp contrast with her white skin. Draco watched her, his arms folded, grey eyes staring.

Her defiant stance melting. "Talk to me, please?" asked Ginny.

"I'll talk to you." Draco said with a slight smile. "Know how long you were asleep?"

Ginny shook her head. "Isn't it Christmas?"

"Missed Christmas, that was a good 15 days ago." He replied.

Ginny's eyes widened. "It's...." she calculated in her head. "January tenth."

Draco nodded. "Exactly."

"I not-slept for fifteen days. No wonder I'm exhau-" Ginny cut herself off.

" -sted." He finished.

"I'm fine." said Ginny primly, smoothing her sheets. Her whole body was tense, he could almost see her battling sleep. He went and sat on the bed, by her, curling an arm around her, hopefully, him being slightly warm would make her more drowsy, and, eventually, send her to sleep, she needed it.

"I-" yawn "Know perfectly well what you are doing, Mister Malfoy." said Ginny drowsily.

"Remember when you were with me you didn't dream?" said Draco quietly to her.

"I want you to know that I would not go to sleep for anybody else." said Ginny, yawning so wide she was sure her face was going to crack in two. She kissed his cheek. Then her head bobbed, once, twice, and fell onto his shoulder. She was fast asleep. Draco smiled, and held her. He was sure Madam Pomfrey wasn't going to be back, so he stayed there. He wondered if she knew what a weird scentence that had been. Smiling slightly, he pulled her covers over her, keeping her warm and comfortable.

Ginny woke up very, very early. She had gotten at least three hours of deep, dreamless sleep, however, and so she felt refreshed. Refreshed enough that she attempted to get out of bed, carefully slipping from under the arm of a sleeping Draco.

She promptly lost her footing and fell flat on her face. Draco woke up, after having drifted off, "Ginerva?" He said, sliding off the bed, and dropping to help her up.

"I don't like being helpless." gritted out Ginny. Draco helped her to her feet again, yawning widely.

"I can walk." said Ginny stubbornly, despite the fact she had fallen twice.

"Oh, so you chose to fall flat onto your face?" asked Draco, teasing her.

"I tripped." said Ginny defensively.

"Oh, you did, did you?" Draco helped her to sit on the bed again.

"Yes." said Ginny. "It's a long nightgown." she had been wearing a robe over her nightgown, but it had slipped off during the night. Actually, Draco noticed, it wasn't just long. It was also rather low cut. Draco shook his head slightly from side to side at her with a smile. He then sat next to Ginny, gracefully placing himself next to her. He topped it all off with a yawn.

"How eloquent of you." said Ginny sarcastically.

"Wasn't it just." replied Draco. Ginny rolled her eyes at him and curled up on the bed next to her boyfriend.

"You are a brat." said Ginny succinctly, even though she knew perfectly well the word was probably more suited for her. Absently she ran her figners through his hair. It was different, lately. Before they'd made out, and touched, sure, but there had never been so much casual touching, or cuddling. They didn't do gratuitous things, like straighten each other's collars, or smooth each others robes. Ginny couldn't remember them ever holding hands. Yet they had had sex. And Draco had, apparently, sat by her bedside for fifteen days, worrying about her.

Draco smiled slightly. "Aren't I just." he raised an eyebrow cheekily.

"Ohhh if I wasn't in a delicate condition, I'd smack you." said Ginny, scowling. Unfortunately, in her current stae she looked like a wet kitten rather than a mad lion.

Draco simply shook his head. "Of course you would." Ginny actually hissed at him and then pulled her covers over her head irritably. He scowled slightly, and watched her as she disappeared under the covers next to him. She snuggled up to him under the covers. A smiled curled up on his face, and put his arms around her. Popping her head out from her covers she kissed his nose and then pulled back into her blanket shell. He flicked the covers up, and ducked his head under aswell.

"Eeep, invasion!" squeaked Ginny. He laughed slightly, his low voice echoing tiredness.

"You need to go to your dorm and get some real sleep." said Ginny softly, pushing his hair out of his face. "Wouldn't want Pomfrey catching you here anyway."

"I don't sleep much, but you're right." replied Draco, sounding slightly defeated.

"I know I am. I'm a woman. I am always right." said Ginny haughtily, pushing him gently off the bed, legs first, so he didn't fall. He reluctantly got up, disappearing from below the covers. Gin poked her head out, smiling. Draco smiled back pushing his hair back from his eyes, and then putting his hands in his pockets.

"Night. Well, morning, as it's well after six, but you know what I mean." said Ginny with a smile. She grabbed his tie, "Didn't think you were getting away without a kiss, did you?" and then pulled him down, kissing him soundly.

"I do." said Draco. He laughed until his lips were quite securely pressed against hers. He rested a hand on her shoulder to stop himself falling onto her withthe force from her yanking his tie.

Ginny let go. "Bye."

"Bye." Draco said finally, before kissing her once more, and disappearing.

Ginny lay back on her pillows. No sleep. Not without Draco. Because if she dreamed again she was pretty sure she was going to go insane. She she started counting backwards from ten thousand, in her head. Loudly. She hadn't known it was possible to shout in your own head, but obviously it was. And while the concentration required for shouting, silently, at her brain gave her a headache, she was inordinately pleased.

Draco slipped off back to his dorm, via the kitchens to get food sent up to her again.

Ginny smiled widely when she saw a house elf come in the ward. She hadn't known her boyfriend was so considerate. Not many people knew a lot about Draco, sure he was incredibly cold to almost everyone including Ginny at times, but he had a heart. Even if it was a rather tempermental one.


End file.
